ur new Director of
Av i at ion Sa fe t y,
Mark Skidmore, is
starting his new role
at CASA properly
on 1 January, despite
having been on the job
officially since the start of December.
The intervening month, it seems,
was set aside for meetings and
consultation with the industry.
It was probably needed.
When I sat down with Skidmore
in late November (see interview
pages 74-75 this issue), he was
starting well and truly on the back
foot. He had ascended to the CASA
throne at a time when the aviation
industry was close to revolution, the
government had yet to respond to
the Forsyth Report and his exposure
to the civil aviation world had been
limited after 39 years in the military.
His first act as DAS probably
happened when, like many of us, he
put the Forsyth Report under the
microscope, probably nodding at some
recommendations and screwing his
nose up at others. As Mark Skidmore
he could do that, but as DAS he had
to wait until Warren Truss tabled
the government’s response. Once that
paper hit the mahogany, Skidmore
would have had his starting point.
It would have been nice for
everyone if Skidmore had known
that before he stepped into his office
for the first time; the industry has
waited long enough for change, and
optimism has been atrophying.
I am confident, however, that whenSkidmore gets his Skates on changes
will happen quickly. You see, the
man gives an immediate impression
that he is a leader of people; that he
knows the way, points the way, and if
you won’t come then he’ll drag you by
the collar. You don’t get to be an Air
Vice Marshal by being a perpetual
follower, and leadership is such an
intrinsic part of Skidmore that he’d
do it even if no-one needed to be led.Fortunately CASA is an
organisation desperately in need of
leadership, because it’s about to get
it in buckets.
But let’s take the pressure off
the bloke a bit and recognise that
as CASA DAS, his ability to heal
a wounded aviation industry is
restricted to the treatments the
Department will let him have. For a
list of treatments, see the government
response to the Forsyth Report.
However, the wound seeping the
most is the complete breakdown of
trust between the aviation community
and the regulator, and that is
something Mark Skidmore can work
on regardless of political direction.
Trust is the glue that will keep CASA
in solid contact with those they
regulate; make sure they are part of
aviation, not a Big Brother that issues
edicts based on sketchy information
and one-way communication.Without that, political direction will
be just rhetoric.
We’ve tried that “arm’s length”
thing before (remember “regulator
with a capital ‘R’”?) and all it got us is
to where we are. The gap needs to be
closed and only trust can do it.
So does Mark Skidmore have
the two prerequisites needed to
start generating trust: honesty and
integrity? It’s going to be a whilebefore we can answer that one. I
believe the man has the goods, but
the whole of CASA needs to start
showing those traits as well before the
trust will start to flow. That’s where
Skidmore’s leadership is going to
become critical. He’ll have to make
some very hard decisions and plough
some very tough fields to make the
changes to CASA that aviation needs
and the Forsyth Report advocated.
They say “cometh the hour,
cometh the man.” Well, the hour is
most certainly here.
Over to you, Mr Skidmore.
May your gauges always be in
the green,The toughest gig in the land
Steve Hitchen – EditorSTEVE HITCHEN
the wound seeping the most is the
complete breakdown of trustEditorial
Air Vice Marshal Mark Skidmore (Ret’d) AM
wanted the job as CASA Director of Aviation
Safety because he is passionate about aviation
and aviation safety. His path ahead, however,
may call upon his personal qualities moreso than
his management skills and industry knowledge.8 australianflying.com.au
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