Sadly, Creampuff is right.
I wish the good Air Marshall all the best, how could I possibly do otherwise?
However, without a strategic vision (the vision thing) and a highly experienced team of bureaucrats dedicated to reform, he is doomed to failure because I fail to see exactly what relevant tools he brings to the job apart from honesty, candour, and superlative flying talent and experience.
His labour, in my opinion is akin to Jason and the field of Dragons teeth.
Unless he beheads, figuratively speaking, the "iron ring" of senior managers immediately, he will be minuted and memoed to death very quickly.
To put that another way, he will be made to play the role of the Bull in the Bull fight. First the Picadores will try and plant a barb or Two (Skidmores past is now under the microscope) as they did with Mick Toller, then he will be run ragged chasing the cape:
A Senate committee has heard that the head of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA), Mick Toller, avoided prosecution over a breach of aviation rules despite a recommendation from within his own organisation to call in the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). Mr Toller stands accused of taking the controls of an aircraft he wasn't endorsed to fly, although the incident wasn't reported until a year after it occurred.
Then he will be goaded into untenable positions:
ASA CEO John McCormick has dismissed unwelcome comment in the past:
“Do not be dismayed by our vocal but largely uninformed minority of critics; they are symptomatic of other ills in society. I prefer ‘facts’ when engaged in discussions; not hearsay and tautological rubbish that some others seem to regard as promising material.”
Bruce Byron:
What has changed in his time and what is he leaving behind?
Ahhh! Let me think. Hmmm. Is it...? Hmmm. I got it...wait...no...would it be an empty office? No? Well, I pass. Next question please.
In his defense though, his bucket of beans was taken and replaced with a handful of beans and he was expected to disappear with the CASA and not come back unless he had the goose that laid the golden eggs.
(From pprune)
Mick Toller:
The Civil Aviation Safety Authority today hit out at its critics - declaring Australia still has an air safety system which is the envy of the rest of the world.
Independent statistics show it is twice as safe to fly on a scheduled airline flight in Australia than Europe or North America.
Figures also show there has been a 42 per cent drop in total aviation accident rates over the last ten years, with improvements in almost every area of flying.
CASA's Director of Aviation Safety, Mick Toller, said these facts demolish claims that CASA is an incompetent or troubled regulator.
Scandalously competent - CASA
And lets not forget what happened to Leroy Keith....