BASLF, you said "I hope I am right in my belief that the pilots and engineers are the best because that is the only justification I now have to fly BA.".
Not really; no better and no worse than most, if the truth be known, but that's around a pretty high benchmark standard of safety. Certainly not "the best".
Mind you -THREAD CREEP ALERT - not every airline thinks it's OK to take passengers on 3-engine long-distance ferry rides in B744s without the "no thanks, that's not what I paid for" option. BA company policy (perhaps others, to be fair) is to do it regardless, especially when it saves money. Think about that when you book long-haul BA.
For me and my company, as per previous posts, it's bye-bye time, now that we know that the threat of disruption is ever present. And I'm ex-BOAC/BA. If you want to go on supporting BA by buying their products, you're on your own