Robbo, makes no sense having pilots checked and putting them through all the crap when you can still get on a Dash 8 without any form of check, metal detection or security. On the same airfield you can have a ten foot tall fence all the way round, pilot passes, coded access for airside, everyone running around with fancy passes round their necks and day-glow vests yet a passenger can board an aircraft the size of a Dash 8 with whatever they like in their pocket/carry on baggage or aircraft stowed baggage.
Consistent?
With the numbers working in major airports in everything from baggage handlers to shop attendants and security personnel there are all sorts ways to get around security. If you work daily with major airports Robbo you know how many breaches of security there are and how basic and simple those breaches are, they still keep happening.
As I've stated before, all pilots have an ASIO file anyway, you ARE monitored/checked without doing an ASIC. What level of security do all those 10's of thousands of airport employees have to go through?
ASIC's are just for the sake of it, to look like something is being done and we put up with the least resistance. Win/Win for those who want to look like they are doing something.
The terrorism bullsh!t thing is used by most as a diversion. As a comparison look how many people get killed on the roads every year but there's no priority to repair dodgy roads, make dual carriageway for major highways, put more freight onto trains is there?
How many people were killed with aircraft related terrorism in Australia in the last 12 months? How much was spent on flying security in the last 12 months? You could say it's because the security is successful, I say bullsh!t. Think of the lives that could have been saved if we spent that money on highways and traffic safety?
Another point is the mount of money made in security, there are a lot of people making big money from all sorts of contracts. That's another reason this terrorism/security drum is beaten so loudly and often.