Fellow engineers - type carefully and brush up on your spelling and grammar (I expect brick-bats for this one!). People like SS will pick up on it and believe it confirms their notion that they are superior!
Squirrel,
You demonstrate a lack of knowledge concerning the tasks carried out by engineers. Several accidents in the UK and the rest of the world over the last 12 years have proved that engineers are as susceptible to human error as pilots. Engineers, particularly line engineers, work in a very dynamic environment and mistakes do get made. A night transit with a charter airline in the middle of summer will prove how hard they have to work, and think, in the space of an hour (and often on their own). Next time you harrass an engineer by claiming you have a tight slot (!?), consider how responsible his/her task is.
By the way, I'd just like to say I respect politicians more than I respect pilots and that's saying something!
