Flight Detent, I'm just a humble fast jet spanner-monkey so please excuse my ignorance but....
"Also...Let me tell all that will listen that it takes substantially more than "a couple of weeks" (as in the case someone said to Xtrain a GE)...to be anything resembling a competent Flight Engineer."
In the case of a ground engineer, why's that then?
"In the RAAF, they have an FE course for qualified GEs to the middle seat in their P3Cs that takes 6 months..."
Why does it take half a year? I read this as being in addition to the type-specific aircraft maintenance engineering training he/she has already had - six months seems an awfully long time.
"...It's not good enough to be just able to 'flick a few switches', he/she must have a really sound understanding of how the airplane works, and how to get the best out of it, when it matters.
All this talk is seriously undermining the job of the professional Flight Engineer!"
No, I would not suggest that it undermines anybody's professionalism. However, are you suggesting that a ground engineer who spends, I am led to believe, at least six months learning how the aeroplane works, plus God knows how many years prior to this gaining general aircraft maintenance experience on quite possibly a range of types might not be up to the task of doing it in the air, or perhaps does not "have a really sound understanding of how the airplane works"?
I, too, really am intrigued to know what is is that an air engineer does that a suitably qualified ground engineer cannot do.