The FAA actually proposed that change, perhaps a decade or so ago,
but it was scorned by pilots, and the proposal was withdrawn.
I believe the FAA thinking was that practicing the procedures per se
was the important thing, more so than simply demonstrating
the elemental ability to fly an airplane by reference only to instruments.

Got a link to the proposal? I cannot imagine that the FAA, despite what
I think of them, would ever entertain this.

Jose
--
The price of freedom is... well... freedom.
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