Originally Posted by
Ascend Charlie
For the risk-averse, there is a nice safe office job in the government somewhere.
Risk is about understanding and managing the risk, it isn't about hoping for the best or following the mindset that because it hasn't gone wrong yet it is unlikely to go wrong in the future.
If it is integral to an operation, why a trained ground crew member can't be used does not make much sense.
Aircraft have procedures for fire management, how would a pilot external to the aircraft be able to quickly follow them?
I could imagine trying to explain that one to the insurance company, but then it is illegal here, so there is ground grew with a semi-decent method of extinguishing, or delaying the fire.