If you are an engineer then I assume you were taught in some detail and weren't expected to just 'act appropriately' when managing or fault finding complex systems - you relied on detailed knowledge.
In engineering you are thought to think logical and start from A to derive Z. On the flightdeck there is no time to go through that process.
As a pilot you are an operator. Your brain and body cannot even handle information at the input like an engineer. It is not possible. Forget that. What you do is you learn sitting at a desk, processing information, but then once on the flightdeck this has been vastly simplified otherwise you cannot use it in time critical scenario's.
Don't get me wrong, I respect background knowledge, and have had many discussions... at the bar. I am by heart an engineer and love it. But it has very very limited place on the flightdeck. There have been too many cases where you were wondering why the person was not doing anything. He was thinking. And many times a person does not even reach the process of thinking. You wanted examples? AF447 is a prime example of how, if you cannot simplify things on the flightdeck and stay stuck in complexity, you don't even reach the act of thinking. Very basic rules would have saved that aircraft, not complex theory.
Technical knowledge is important yes, but in modern day of aviation it creates a fake bubble where pilots feel protected by their knowledge, while at the end of the day, they don't know sh$t about the tool in their hands. You are an operator, learn to be an operator. That is a SKILL. Not a knowledge.
Keep it simple. Know your theory up to the point where it allows you to stop stupidity. If that is gyroscopic precession, fine. If that is highly damped vibrations, fine. So yes, I love this thread, but it's not going to make you a better pilot. Just nice discussions at the bar (which you can always invite me to :-))