I gained my A+C licences from the Air Registration Board in 1969, a proper document resembling the old British blue passport only maroon colour, becoming only the third licensed engineer in Ireland. We rejoiced in the title of grease-monkeys while many of the chosen few sported their white cuffs and blazers ... in fact even then most people looked down on the mechanical trades until they needed their machinery fixed.
My friend Noel Orr made a shrewd comment when he obtained the Honda motorcycle agency for Northern Ireland in 1970. "In our day most teenagers had dirty fingernails from tinkering with our bikes and old cars. Youngsters now won't get their hands dirty, when their bike needs service they throw it in to me which is fine for my bank balance but I'm already finding it hard to get good mechanics. In Germany they respect all aspects of engineering, here we don't. And that's bad news for this country."
I'm long retired and can't roll under cars or crawl down fuselages any more, but I fear Noel's warning is as true now as it was 54 years ago. My last licences were strips of plastic pockets with bits of paper like bus tickets for each qualification as engineer or pilot. I took grim humour in waving my instrument rating as the bit of paper which had cost me £4000 even using my own aircraft, but I valued my LAE higher than anything else. My LAE number, still crystal clear on my declining brain, is perfect for my bank PIN.
Last edited by Geriaviator; 27th October 2024 at 18:38.