Airside passes and the 5yr history/CRC...

[Haul By Cable]

Hello there,

I am currently having major worries about the requirements for the issue of an airside pass so that I can be employed.

Please, if you have any info or indeed details of where I can seek further advice, I would be grateful if you would post.

I have a frozen ATPL (ink still wet) and am currently looking for a job. I realize that I am required to obtain a 'Basic Disclosure' as part of the process of obtaining an airside pass once a job offer is made, but I am very concerned about the need for a 5 year employment history without gaps.

I have been unemployed for most of this period but not registered as unemployed. Also, I have traveled a lot between the UK and Germany, resulting in my spending in total about half of each year there (although my home address is in the UK). I will be able to piece together my exact whereabouts over the last 5 years (although it will be a mammoth task finding all those receipts/boarding passes/ train tickets etc :ugh: ) and I will be able to back this up with statements from people that I know in the places that I have been. I could even provide supporting evidence in the form of bank statements showing ATM transactions etc.

The thing that I am worried about though is whether or not this will be enough?

I have done extensive searching on PPRuNe and elsewhere on the internet to glean any info that I can. On PPRuNe I have read of people being rejected for jobs because of traveling abroad for 6 months etc.

I understand that it is the airport authority that issues airside passes based on direction from the DfT. What I would really like to know is if anyone can tell me what guide lines either the airline or the airport authority use when deciding if a persons 5 year history comes up to scratch/ticks all the boxes??? I have been unable to find anything useful on websites for BALPA, BAA, DfT, AOA, BATA etc. I think that if I could ascertain the facts then stand a better chance of meeting the requirements and not having >40k worth of training go to complete waste :yuk: If you are involved in recruitment, security or vetting perhaps you could point me in the right direction? Perhaps you are an employed pilot and happen to have heard some nuggets of info?

After planning meticulously for all eventualities (that I could think of!) during and after training before taking the plunge, I thought I had all the bases covered – I didn’t see this one coming :uhoh:

Thanks for your help,

Haul.

[cadetilean]

Haul By Cable,

I don't have anything to help you with sorry, but I have a similar situation. I'm an Irish national applying for a job in the UK and they are looking for the Disclosure Scotland (applied and recieved already) and a CRC from Ireland.

But the Irish Police don't do CRC's for some bizarre reason. And I'm not sure what to do now? Does anyone have any opinion on the matter? Will the Disclosure Scotland suffice?

Thanks,

Cadetilean

[A Very Civil Pilot]

Cadetilean


I don't see that you have a problem. The airlines ask for a CRC, you have a CRC - end of problem. The fact that you are from Eire is irrelevant. The CRC only checks that you have no unspent convictions in the UK (or with any country that might share information with the UK). You may well have spent most of the past 5 years as Osama Bin Laden's no. 2 - but that is irrelevant, as long as you're UK record is clear you're OK. Don't complicate the issue by providing informatoin that is not required.


Cable has a bit more of a problem

For a short time almost 5 years ago I was 'self-employed' ie instructing on a freelance basis, and the DFT wouldn't accept anyof the references I gave. In the end the Inland Revenue came to my rescue, as they confirmed that my self assessment covered the dates in question, and that was a good enough reference.

Get on any official register as soon as you can - don't be proud about accepting JSA. You might not get any money, but it will see you 'registered'.

As you've got a 'still wet' ATPL, don't worry about it too much at the moment. There are still few jobs for low hours pilots, so as each week goes by, your unregistered history will start to drop off the end of the 5 year history. (However, a bit of a problem if you need a pass at your local flying club!)

[scotiaboy]

Hey matey, I have had major problems with airside passes and have loked so far into it I think I should be going to BAA and being head of the AIRSIDE PASS DEPARTMENT!

As long as you can provide referencies from people/friends who are in a profession that can verify your whereabouts for the past 5 years, you should 'in theory' have no problem getting an airside pass.

[Tamer]

As far as I am aware and please correct me if I am wrong, as long as you have a referee who will confirm what you have been doing for the past 5 years, it dose'nt matter if you have not signed on or been abroad.

What if you have been at home for 5 years looking after the Kidies, you wont have claimed benifit or have any other Government records, so the only way they will be able to know what you have been doing is through a referee.

[jollypilot]

Its true - I have my airside pass despite only being able to account for two of the last five years - the rest was done from referees. Altough as mentioned, they must be a 'professional'

JP

[Haul By Cable]

Thank you everybody who has replied so far. I appreciate it.

Does this mean, then, that I would need just one referee to endorse that everything listed in the 5 year period is correct - or do I have to get individual verification for each and every trip? (here one week, there for 3, somewhere else for 4 etc?)

Does a list exist for all job titles considered professional?

scotiaboy - may I ask what professions your referees had?

Civil Pilot - did the DfT give any reasons for rejecting the references? Were they references from friends? Do you kow if somebody can still be registered unemployed if they decide not to award a JSA?

Thanks again and sorry for all the questions, it seems to get murkier the more I investigate.

Haul :ok:

[boeingbus2002]

Can you apply for a disclosure certificate yourself? Just wondering if having all the checks done ready in time BEFORE any potential job offer would save them a lot of time.

[Haul By Cable]

Wish it were that simple.

The Disclosure is only a part of it, basically a computer check to see if you have any unspent convictions in the UK - for this you independently provide to www.disclosurescotland.co.uk proof of address for the 5 year period to prove who you are. It can take 2 months to issue and is only valid for 10 weeks (they limit how often you can apply for one too), it has to be sent directly to the employer usually.

It's the other part(s) of the vetting procedure that I know zip about :ugh: - whatever it is that goes on with the airline or the airport authority or possibly a company contracted by the authority?

Cheers anyway.

[cadetilean]

Thanks for the reassurance A Very Civil Pilot, I was hoping that would be the case.

Safe flying,

Cadetilean

[A Very Civil Pilot]

My references whilst being self employed were rejected, as the CFI of the flying club was not my boss, but a client, so wasn't on the list of approved referees. For self employment they need confirmtion from your accountant (as if!!) or the Inland Revenue.

[scotiaboy]

My referees came from people such as friends who were Social Workers or company managers.

I also had referencies from airline cabin crew trainers and No1's, so I think it's just anyone in a managerial position.

Not sure if they have to be individual or not, I don't think so.. I had individual ones but also had my social worker friend cover me for around 2 years.

What to do is contact a BAA security office at one of the airports, LHR for example, they will be able to provide you with a list of people they accept as a professional referee and at least then it\'s \'coming from the horses mouth\'.

[Hufty]

I think you should be OK, but as others have said, it may well be necessary to get somebody of very high standing as a referee. I have a few gaps in my history (I changed jobs a few times and had several periods of gardening leave, travelling etc.) but a friend of mine was a “gap referee” and he was able to tell them what I was doing. He holds a responsible position and the fact that I have known him for 15 years helped.

Maybe in your case, if you have multiple referees who are willing to cover the period, it may give them a warmer feeling that you were where you said you were. Somebody who is themselves subject to security clearance would be an ideal referee.

[X-Centric]

A former colleague of mine had his car stolen which contained his flight case in the boot. Within his flight case was his airside ID, among other things.

He brought the police paperwork into the airport security manager as proof that his airside ID had, indeed, been stolen. The airport security staff made him fill out a complete new application for the issue of an airside ID. He hadn't left the company, he hadn't changed base! He had to get his five years worth of references & a new Disclosure.

We must make it a top priority to keep our airports safe but the issue of security IDs is now becoming a joke. Does anyone remember the 'That's Life' Jobsworth award?

Oh, & by the way, while he was waiting for all of this labourious paperwork to be collated they allowed him airside for about four weeks with just a company ID which had no official relevance whatsoever!:confused:

[scotiaboy]

That is umbelievable, the whole pass situation is a joke at the moment. I have just been selected for the final stage for Thomas Cook(cabin crew) having had to take 7 months out of flying because of the mistakes BAA made, so hoping I get the the job I pray that BAA have got there act together by the time I hand my reference details in.