GotTheTshirt,
I donīt know how old you are or when you got your first licence. But from reading your post, you come across as a bit pretentious. I am obviously not as old as you, about half I guessed from the DC3 refence, I am not even British nor do I work in Britian at the moment. I have however worked with British licenced engineers both old and young, and I donīt think age plays much of a difference, I know just as many brilliant young as old, the only difference I have ever noticed, is that the older the engineer the higher the tendensies there are for the "little black book" syndrome, ei keeping information to oneself to make oneself appear like a guru.
I am not trying to insult you, or anyone else, I am just trying to tell you how a post written the way yours was, is persived by a younger person.
Brgds
Doc