“If you have a serving officer challenge the issue of Crown Immunity…..”
Forgive me if I’ve misconstrued, but I didn’t think we had Crown Immunity anymore on airworthiness matters. Those who had airworthiness delegation were packed off to refresher courses following the issue of DCI GEN 89 on 26th March 1993.
These courses were so hastily cobbled together they only served to highlight the complete lack of unified and consistent policy, which exists to this day. The “tutors” knew all the theory, but very few had any practical experience of the obstacles placed in the way of those charged with attaining and maintaining airworthiness. Then, and now, the MoD mantra was “We have a robust regulatory framework”. Maybe so, but they don’t provide funds to actually implement it. That is; it is one thing to achieve safety and airworthiness on a new aircraft, but quite a different thing to maintain it through life.
Today, we heard the MoD spokesperson say “As always the safety of our crews remains paramount”. I’d love to be a fly on the wall in certain offices, given long standing and freely available MoD rulings that mandated Airworthiness Regulations can be ignored and, in fact, it is a disciplinary offence to insist on the provision of funding to maintain airworthiness before entering into a contract.
Of course, if Min(AF) wants to change his ruling………. And if PUS would care to offer his thoughts on those above him who disagree with his mandated policies……..