Can't an argument be made that ATC familiarity flights are permissible due to
a safety, security, operational or training reason
?
The justifications being:
- safety - ATC having better understanding of flight ops will help promote safety;
- security - ATC will gain a better understanding of flight and flight-deck security issues;
- operational - ATC will gain a better understanding of the flight crew's operational environment and workload issues which their instructions may create for the flight crew;
- training - encompasses all of the above.
Does DOTARS not
trust ATC-ers enough to allow them flight deck access?
Re red-ASIC-ed staff, could there not be an argument on safety and security grounds - "As PIC, I consider the flight is inherently safer and more secure with an extra trained company pilot on the FD so I will endeavour to find one on every flight" - so should paxing company pilots maybe make themselves known upon boarding?