Dark Knight
23rd Sep 2008, 01:53
Australia's aviation watchdog says checking engineers' credentials would be an inefficient use of resources, following the conviction of a man who used fake documentation to dupe Qantas into giving him a job.
A CASA spokesman today said that, although the authority is responsible for issuing licences, it does not check them on a regular basis.
"We don't have any processes ourselves for checking engineers' licences, but we don't need to because it's incumbent upon the employer," he said.
"We issue the licences, but licensed engineers don't operate within a vacuum. They operate in an open environment, whether it be a big company like Qantas or small maintenance operation, and they're the ones with the knowledge of their workforce.
"It wouldn't be a sensible use of our resources to [check licences]. In 10 years I've never seen anything like this."
Substitute `Pilot’ for engineer.
Within less than 30 minutes, using todays home computers, one can `create’ a more than credible pilots licence, Record of Flight Crew Ratings and current Medical Certificates (though giving the task to a most high school kids would result in a more professional result) necessary to satisfy an airline operator.
If CASA fails to conduct checks how would they know how many suspect licences are out there?
Overseas experience shows there is more than a little logbook `Bic’ time around?
False Medical Certificates have been detected here in the past.
Was all the CASA spokesperson able to get right was the word `inefficient”?
DK
A CASA spokesman today said that, although the authority is responsible for issuing licences, it does not check them on a regular basis.
"We don't have any processes ourselves for checking engineers' licences, but we don't need to because it's incumbent upon the employer," he said.
"We issue the licences, but licensed engineers don't operate within a vacuum. They operate in an open environment, whether it be a big company like Qantas or small maintenance operation, and they're the ones with the knowledge of their workforce.
"It wouldn't be a sensible use of our resources to [check licences]. In 10 years I've never seen anything like this."
Substitute `Pilot’ for engineer.
Within less than 30 minutes, using todays home computers, one can `create’ a more than credible pilots licence, Record of Flight Crew Ratings and current Medical Certificates (though giving the task to a most high school kids would result in a more professional result) necessary to satisfy an airline operator.
If CASA fails to conduct checks how would they know how many suspect licences are out there?
Overseas experience shows there is more than a little logbook `Bic’ time around?
False Medical Certificates have been detected here in the past.
Was all the CASA spokesperson able to get right was the word `inefficient”?
DK