As a co-pilot on 32 Sqn VIP Andovers in the 70's it was standard practice to keep a can of Brasso in the headset bag to polish the brass static vent plate and the chrome engine exhausts between sorties. Not to mention topping up the engine oil at the top of a ladder in No 1 uniform which was our standard "flying kit". Even on VIP Pembrokes in the 80's as Captains we polished the static vents, wiped off the oil (lots) from the engines, hoovered the carpets and cleaned the tables before each flight. It was about pride in the job, a quality which seems to be in short supply nowadays.