Cjam with all respect I would hardly call Aircraft Engineers "blue collar workers" They are highly trained Engineers, and I have nothing but respect for them. (As do most pilots). In my early flying I was seconded out to various jobs including Royal Flying Doctor Service, Airial Surveys, Air Ambulance etc, and this happened quite often for pilots in TAA depending on what happened in the economy at the time. Often based in some godforsaken outpost with the Engineer for company I learnt a lot from them, in fact I would now probably be extremely dead, if it had not been for one of them in particular. (I won't bore you with the details) anyway good luck fellas, you deserve everything you get. And I hope its a motza.