Blacksheep has hit the nail on the head....
Where is the accountability for this balls-up?
Ths most significant missed opportunity during this time, was to totally restructure this from an
authority to an administration.
It is time that some sort of accountable external review body was created to sift through this disaster and sort it all out.
Can think of any company that would allow you to keep your job in the event of the various screw-ups that are being made here?
A good analogy might be to compare this situation with the problems Ansett had with the 767's earlier this year. They got shut-down and suffered continuing consequences, not only regulatory but commercially.
Government agencies on the other hand just plug along, like nothing happened. No-one is holding them accountable for their actions - because a public (transparent) mechanism for review does not exist! One thing the FAA has going for them, run into some beauracratic bull**** with them, and turn your Senator or Congressman on them - you'll see results
immediately. They learned a long time ago, that by creating and empowering an administration, they provided the mechanism to administer the law created and approved by elected individuals on behalf of the people - not some entity that becomes a law unto itself and answers to no-one.
One final comment. Pen it off; I have worked with people certified by just about every licensing body worldwide. I could not tell you that any particular licence holder is intrinsically better, or worse, than any other. There are a variety of factors that produce the finished porduct. I do know however, a certain number of (good) CAA LAE's who would be unable to perform a sheet-metal repair that would be accepteable to even the most lax Inspector.
For that matter I know a few people who simply must have bribed the CAA in order to obtain their licence (or have been circulating the same set of goat-shagging photo's of the individuals involved.)
