Timbo

I agree...so what's the solution you would like to see?

All that training takes time and to a bean coutner, Time = Money.

So...where does the FAA draw the line between spending enough time to train, vs. spending too much money?

I have noticed a degredation in my own flying skills ever since I left domestic, getting two landings a day, four days in a row, 3-4 trips a month, vs. flying International, getting one landing a month, maybe. Oviously I'm doing a lot less hand flying and a whole lot more sitting and sleeping.

Flying is a learned skill just like Football, Golf or Tennis, or racing catamarans (my drug of choice). The more you practice, the better you get, no doubt. 1 landing a month isn't enough to keep me happy with my skill level, so I get my butt out of the house and fly a taildragger often, just so I can remember how to use the rudder!

Like my highschool football coach used to tell us; "What you do in Practice, you WILL DO IN THE GAME, so Practice like it's THE GAME!" I guess that's why I ask for extra V1 cuts when it's my 'turn in the box'.