Aviation Security - Case Studies

Graham Hanson

Ex-Royal Navy Regulating Petty Officer Graham Hanson left the Armed Forces last year and is now the Aviation Security Team Leader at ManchesterAirport. His police experience included ‘setting up the Police Forensic Section for Northern England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.’ His 22 years’ service included tours around the world; and he now values his ‘leadership and management training and specialist core knowledge, and the ability to work as part of a team.’ Qualifications included the NEBS Certificate in Management, Home Office Qualified Crime Scene Investigator and Crime Reduction Officer.

A Career Transition Workshop ‘gave a broad overview of the civilian job finding process,’ and a Department for Transport Aviation Security course provided by ClientFinders was ‘professionally run and extremely useful.’ The company also ‘sourced employment within the industry at an airport of my choice.’

‘The basic tasks of an AVSEC Team Leader are the management, organisation and co-ordination of aviation security officers, equipment and resources. Every day is very different. I like the customer interaction especially the diverse cultures one comes across in an international airport.’

Hanson still deals ‘with irate and sometimes drunken passengers, the investigation of security breaches and other security related incidents.’ But he does notice a difference in ‘quality of life, although shift work does impact on family life. It is also nice to have regular hours and be paid overtime. The shift pattern is also worked out in advance and therefore you are able to plan things six months in advance.’

Published July 07

Fabian Campbell

After five years in the Royal Logistic Corps as a B1 driver, Lance Corporal Fabian Campbell left the Army last June to ‘focus more on my family and to further my education, ie pursue a degree in electrical engineering which has always been my passion. After several tours including Iraq, I felt it was time to move on.’ He had developed ‘the necessary skills, experience and confidence to take responsibility for managing the vehicle fleet for my organisation. Managerial skills gave me the necessary skills required to evaluate and motivate my current staff.

‘A Career Transition Workshop provided the basic requirements necessary in the transition and was also a fantastic means of networking.’ He also took Department for Transport Aviation Security Level 1 and Air Cargo Security Level 1 training with ClientFinders, which was ‘of a very high standard. The qualifications meant I did not need any further training to start my current role.’ ClientFinders also introduced him to his new employer.

After recent promotion, Campbell is now Assistant Operations Manager for an aviation security organisation. Duties include assisting in overseeing internal departments, attending meetings with service users, ensuring procedures are followed, completing weekly reports, carrying out audits, six-monthly staff evaluations, recording monthly hours and billing, equipment maintenance, and managing the company vehicle fleet.

He now has a nine to five Monday to Friday job which allows more time with the family, especially at weekends. He enjoys a ‘major improvement’ in salary.

Published January 08

Robert Evans

Now an air sampler with ICTS cargo security at Heathrow Airport, ex-Sergeant Robert Evans, 45, served 22 years as a postal and courier specialist in the Army, travelling the world and having the experience of climbing in the Himalayas. Leaving in May last year, he values ‘self-confidence and self-discipline’ he developed in the Royal Engineers and found a career transition workshop ‘useful in CV preparation and interview presentation skills.’

He then took a combined SIA and aviation security course including air cargo security with ClientFinders, which was ‘useful and well run. It got me my current job and provided all the relevant qualifications.’ He also took additional security qualifications and became an emergency medical technician.

ClientFinders sent his CV directly to the Cargo Security Manager at Heathrow; and Evans was interviewed and employed very quickly. ‘I take air samples from consignments of air freight on behalf of airlines prior to loading onto aircraft. The air samples are then screened for traces of explosive by specially trained sniffer dogs.’

He finds that he now works more independently, ‘as I am given the freedom to make decisions and am accountable for them. My job pays relatively well for the industry, although my gross salary is lower than my Sergeant’s pay. The main difference to my disposable income is due to the increased cost of living without subsidised food and accommodation.’

Published July 08