Question annoys pilots

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33048, 16 October 1972, Page 2

Question annoys pilots

(N.Z. Press Association)

TAURANGA, Oct. 15. New Zealand pilots and air traffic controllers are refusing to answer questions about driving convictions when they apply for renewal of their licences. The question, posed when they have a medical check is whether they have had any

traffic convictions or other convictions in the previous year. Both the Airline Pilots Association and the Air Traffic Controllers Association had advised their members to write “not applicable” or to delete the question, the Pilots Association secretary (Captain J. W. Dickinson) said in Wellington. “The pilots are totally opposed to the question, which they consider is quite irrelevant to their occupation," he said.

He said it was regarded as an invasion of privacy. “We have already objected to the principal medical officer for civil aviation (Mr G. McDougall), and invited him to our next national executive meeting on Wednesday to discuss it.”

The secretary of the Air Traffic Controllers Association (Mr M. J. Frost) said the association first heard about the question when it was asked by a doctor about three weeks ago. “Since then, members have been putting *not applicable’ or deleting the question from their forms,” he said. “The Ministry of Transport (which administers civil aviation) threatened to refuse to relicense anyone who did this, but after talks they agreed to continue relicensing until our central executive committee discusses the matter next week”

The vice-president of the Tauranga Aero Club (Mr W. Bell) described the question as “iniquitous and officious." “It is right out of order, and smacks of bureaucracy,” he said. "How can knowledge of one’s driving offences have any bearing on flying? “Even a conviction for over-parking would have to be written down,” Mr Bell said. “I can see the sense in a drunken driving conviction being recorded, but that is all. The Ministry of Transport just seems to be officious.”