Irish Steve
14th Apr 2005, 21:48
We've seen threads and discussions about the desirability of having professional qualifications for dispatch.
What do people feel about having professional qualifications for some at least of the ramp handling agents. In some cases, they are doing things like towing aircraft and using ground to air, headset operation during push back, as well as other tasks tat require some understanding of the bigger picture.
In a lot of cases, there is no one on the ramp, and no one in management with any formal or recognisable aviation qualification of any sort.
Should there be some form of formal external qualification, and if there should, at what level, and how many people.
The sort of issue that comes to mind is that the average ramper would quite happily move a turbo prop propellor to allow equipment to gain access to a hatch or door, or to get a chock into a main wheel, if they were to do the same thing on something like a Seneca (and some rampers do handle such types), in certain circumstances, that could have fatal conseqences.
Much of the ramper training covers the handling agent's equipment, and some of it's operation, but there's next to nothing about aircraft type specific issues, which can expose rampers and aircraft and passengers to risks.
Is this acceptable, or is it even an issue
Comments appreciated.
What do people feel about having professional qualifications for some at least of the ramp handling agents. In some cases, they are doing things like towing aircraft and using ground to air, headset operation during push back, as well as other tasks tat require some understanding of the bigger picture.
In a lot of cases, there is no one on the ramp, and no one in management with any formal or recognisable aviation qualification of any sort.
Should there be some form of formal external qualification, and if there should, at what level, and how many people.
The sort of issue that comes to mind is that the average ramper would quite happily move a turbo prop propellor to allow equipment to gain access to a hatch or door, or to get a chock into a main wheel, if they were to do the same thing on something like a Seneca (and some rampers do handle such types), in certain circumstances, that could have fatal conseqences.
Much of the ramper training covers the handling agent's equipment, and some of it's operation, but there's next to nothing about aircraft type specific issues, which can expose rampers and aircraft and passengers to risks.
Is this acceptable, or is it even an issue
Comments appreciated.