paarmo, if you have done some research why are you rabitting on about an "air worthiness certificate or whatever it is called"?
In answer to your statements:
Civilians do not train our observers!
I take it the 'checkers' you refer to are the CAA, if so you can have that one.
Yes, I am a civilian (with 24yrs military experience behind me).
Yes, civilians do maintain the aircraft (though ours is ex mil).
Our civilian radio operators make us aware of the jobs, the decision to go on them is made by the Police members of the crew from a tactical point of view and finally the pilot from a safety/aircraft point of view.
Actually, the civilians tend to get in the way a lot of the time (from a tactical point of view) because they lack the understanding of what is required.
Yes I was a civilian once but, having joined and served in a uniformed, disciplined organisation I do not think like a civilian or react like one so even if I no longer have the uniform I will never be a 'civilian' again compared to someone who has not been through the same life path as myself.
One of the reasons that Army pilots provide such a good aviation service to the ground troops is because a great many of them spent their early years doing the jobs of the troops that they support. In fact, when I first went aviating it was a pre requisit (what can you bring to the party?) to getting on the course.
And before you use the arguement of me being ex mil and doing the job as a civvi to justify your approach, CRAB@DAAVN had it right in that that approach for Observers would be used as the thin end of the wedge and soon the 'ex' qualification would be dropped in the name of money saving and not for increasing or maintaining efficiency!