Originally Posted by
UltraFan
Mary Schiavo is the reason we have a proper aviation parts system in place. Before she raised the problem, airplane parts were manufactured and sold by anyone who was clever enough to buy a shed for storage and get a telephone line. As a result of her investigations, forged parts were found on Air Force One, no less. The meaningful changes she pioneered made aviation MUCH safer today than it was 20 years ago. The only people who don't like her are the people she made accountable for safety. And of course the 150 people she sent to jail for an average of 5 years. I wish there were more people like her in the aviation industry.
Mary Schiavo has been a divisive character, much maligned in the Industry. However she failed to make a balanced representation of the risks. In order to gain greater funding she had to exacerbate the scale of the problem, painting the whole of the Parts Industry with the same brush. I've worked in the Parts industry for 30 years, and yes there are Crooks and Criminals who will break the rules to try to make a fast buck, just like in every other industry. However it was never as easy as buying a shed and starting to copy parts. I agree that the changes she implemented have improved the safety, but I believe her contribution to the "Positive" impact has been exaggerated. In essence the main reason for greater control is with the Operators and Maintainers being more proactive, implementing overarching SMS systems, and awareness for the Supply Chain personnel. Vigilance is the key,