Key extract from above…………….
“Unfortunately with all the cuts in airframes, manpower (aircrew and ground-crew) and money for spares the fleet is simply unable to send aircraft after aircraft up, thus avoiding AAR”.
That is, front line is forced to change the risk assessment criteria that underpinned the MAR, RTS and associated SDs. TD, it’s called politics, and people who were previously perfectly sane are subtly given a “career brief on their brief career” if they don’t roll over. I think there are others here who would agree that if the role and/or use of the aircraft is changed for these reasons then an updated whole aircraft safety case is required. (I’d say mandated, but the procedural Def Stans don’t make allowance for such political interference. They were written in the days before airworthiness became optional). I’d almost guarantee a weakness the audit trail. The fallout is borne by operators and maintainers while those responsible advance and retire disgracefully.