QANTAS Fake LAME Update
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QANTAS Fake LAME Update
A man who posed as a qualified Qantas aircraft engineer and presented fake references to a court in his defence has had his sentence extended by eight months.
Timothy McCormack, 27, is serving a jail term of three years and five months for falsifying his qualifications.
During sentencing proceedings for that offence in December, McCormack produced four fake character references, which were today described by District Court Judge Greg Woods, as containing "amazing hyperbole" and "complete humbug".
One reference said lives would be "more at risk" without McCormack's "extraordinary knowledge" in aircraft safety.
Another claimed he had starred in and won the "Best and Fairest" title in what was discovered to be a fake Australian Rules competition.
Judge Woods likened McCormack's lies to the "swashbuckling" exploits of the fictional character Walter Mitty, from the film The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.
"That character was simply dreaming and caused no harm," Judge Woods said. "By contrast, the offender's falsehoods operated in the real world and were potentially damaging."
The court heard McCormack had no mental illness and was raised by a loving family.
Judge Woods said something had "gone astray" but it was not his parents' fault.
"No doubt the parents are a puzzled as ... I have been at the indulgence of this offender in his pathological lying."
For the offences of making use of fabricated evidence in judicial proceedings and attempting to pervert the course of justice, McCormack was sentenced to a maximum of two years in jail. He will be eligible for release in December 2012.
Timothy McCormack, 27, is serving a jail term of three years and five months for falsifying his qualifications.
During sentencing proceedings for that offence in December, McCormack produced four fake character references, which were today described by District Court Judge Greg Woods, as containing "amazing hyperbole" and "complete humbug".
One reference said lives would be "more at risk" without McCormack's "extraordinary knowledge" in aircraft safety.
Another claimed he had starred in and won the "Best and Fairest" title in what was discovered to be a fake Australian Rules competition.
Judge Woods likened McCormack's lies to the "swashbuckling" exploits of the fictional character Walter Mitty, from the film The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.
"That character was simply dreaming and caused no harm," Judge Woods said. "By contrast, the offender's falsehoods operated in the real world and were potentially damaging."
The court heard McCormack had no mental illness and was raised by a loving family.
Judge Woods said something had "gone astray" but it was not his parents' fault.
"No doubt the parents are a puzzled as ... I have been at the indulgence of this offender in his pathological lying."
For the offences of making use of fabricated evidence in judicial proceedings and attempting to pervert the course of justice, McCormack was sentenced to a maximum of two years in jail. He will be eligible for release in December 2012.
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Check References!
While not excusing Mr McCormacks actions in the least, why is it that so many employers don't follow up references these days?
The industry here in Australia is small enough that you cannot easily, if at all, escape a bad reputation. It follows that someone with such a fanciful CV would be just as easy to confirm or debunk. That said, I believe employers share some of the resposibility when this kind of situation occurs.
Who hired him?
The industry here in Australia is small enough that you cannot easily, if at all, escape a bad reputation. It follows that someone with such a fanciful CV would be just as easy to confirm or debunk. That said, I believe employers share some of the resposibility when this kind of situation occurs.
Who hired him?
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HR didn't pick up any discrepancies because they didn't even know he was working as a LAME. He was employed as an AME and started certifying after going up to uniforms and swapping his blue shirts for white ones with epaulettes. 
Wow.
Some poor worker fakes his qualifications as a LAME and gets jail time, yet so many airline board members have NO AVIATION QUALIFICATION OR EXPERIENCE AT ALL............
You do need to know a business inside and out to run it.
Dear CASA -- why are there no requirements for qualifications of people who make the real decisions in the airlines -- the board and managers ?????
Some poor worker fakes his qualifications as a LAME and gets jail time, yet so many airline board members have NO AVIATION QUALIFICATION OR EXPERIENCE AT ALL............
You do need to know a business inside and out to run it.
Dear CASA -- why are there no requirements for qualifications of people who make the real decisions in the airlines -- the board and managers ?????
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Arkmark, I think you will find things are changing with respect to managers having airline experience. Nobody has replaced Cox yet... why?
As for HR not "screening"/interviewing Tim, he came through as an apprentice so there would not have been any HR involvement at the Interview level. Perhaps his colleagues brought his strange behaviour to the attention of their seniors only to have no action taken? Who knows. Anyone?
As for HR not "screening"/interviewing Tim, he came through as an apprentice so there would not have been any HR involvement at the Interview level. Perhaps his colleagues brought his strange behaviour to the attention of their seniors only to have no action taken? Who knows. Anyone?
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Tim was not a QF apprentice as such. he came in from Kendall when Ansett went under at the end of his 3rd year. He went straight to SIT, once to base and back to SIT for his whole final year. How, when the rest of the QF apprentices rotated between sections i do not know.......Then to top that off he NEVER was part of the interview process of QF apprentices for their final position that year. Then. after being in QF only a year and a half, KG then acting manager of SIT puts him on a QF 744 course. Good old QF mates rates.
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KG then acting manager of SIT puts him on a QF 744 course. Good old QF mates rates.
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What is happening with Smasher? I am surprised we have not yet heard about Kodak either.
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Biplane Disorder in the hangars ??
I heard that the poor ol LAME suffers from Bipolar Disorder or Biplane Disorder, something like that.
Maybe he caught it from Darth ??
Darth used to suffer from grandiose visions in which he saw himself as something special, a man with talents and extraordinary skills, a man of strength,dignity and endless ability !!! They sure sound similar, perhaps Darth and his 'mini-me' ?
Maybe he caught it from Darth ??
Darth used to suffer from grandiose visions in which he saw himself as something special, a man with talents and extraordinary skills, a man of strength,dignity and endless ability !!! They sure sound similar, perhaps Darth and his 'mini-me' ?
