O.K., we disagree, but probably not as much as you might think.

I have helped too many students others turned loose on the world as 'R/C pilots'. I saw one guy (an FAA type no less!) who stopped teaching whatever it was if the student EVER did it. Typically his ex students were replacing airframes with extreme regularity. That is why some of us noticed the problem. I have also seen the instructor who let student continue their first landing approaches into the pitts.

I don't think a standardized approach to instruction can be all bad because then we could all have some idea what the student is supposed to know. Look at it in the light of the guy I used to see let his students land in the pitts. Sure it might have been safe enough when there was no one around, but do you think that point was ever made to the student?

Consider that the FAA REQUIRES flight instruction to follow a very specific syllabus and have very measurable and specific check points and goals. It works for well over 3 times as many folks as are AMA members, so it cannot all be bad. However, I do grant that I would be afraid of a MANDATED standard. I think a suggested standard is the answer to the basic question of how do we tell if Sammy is ready to solo or not.

Now as for the letter to Jay, I could care less if my name was on the list of troublemakers or not. It should be pretty clear that whatever low life scum sucking dirt ball sent him the e-mail is a coward too.

Hang in there Jay and welcome to the forum where the crazies (according to some in power within the AMA - but NOT all) run the asylum.