Originally Posted by
Pilot1001
Speaking here as a candidate who's recently applied for the position & considering giving up a career in the airlines for a job that on paper looks more interesting and subjectively more meaningful, would anyone who knows more about the role, or fully understands the reasons behind the resignation of many Ops Inspectors this year be able to share any more insights?
The job's a substantial pay cut which isn't to be taken lightly, but not everything's about money and it genuinely looks like the job can offer many new learnings along with a more structured life that simply aren't available in the airline world. Please feel free to DM if you'd rather not share publicly. Thanks!
I applied (as an engineering inspector) several times rather earlier in my career, and would have relished the role. I had and have worked on a number of investigations in support of AAIB, and at one point was visiting there to assist in various things maybe three times a year. The last time I applied, a friend and colleague who was at the time an ops inspector there was privately very encouraging saying that my qualifications were somewhat better than many of his colleagues (CEng, relevant PhD, low 4-figures mixed GA and military flying, experience analysing accidents including FDRs).
For reasons I can only guess at, I never got to interview. My guess is that the branch, at-least then, only really valued airline experience in both engineers and pilots, and regarded any other experience as additional. It is only a guess.
I have watched from a distance the branch's work for 30 years, in recent years with increasing concern. My friend and colleague was one of the ops inspectors who left, citing (to me privately) increasing disdain with what he saw as a toxic work environment, politicisation, and lack of willingness to make sufficiently strong recommendations. That could be true, it could just be that he wasn't getting on with the bosses - I suspect proportions of both. I've certainly read a number of reports over the last 5+ years that I was extremely unhappy with, several where I got involved as a consultant with re-investigation of cases because of subsequent litigation, and was forced to conclude that AAIB's findings were badly flawed.
There is no doubt that the role is a really important one, and done well, AAIB (or equivalent organisations') investigations make a real and substantial difference to our community. I think you'll make a far bigger difference to society and aviation there than you ever will as a line pilot, however good a pilot you are. I'd just recommend going in with your eyes wide open about what the job and the working environment are really about.
G