I am unlicenced but my "chip" is not because of this. It is through my own lack of effort that I am not licenced yet. I have, however, completed all relevant CASA examinations and have collected SOE for a few aircraft types. With any luck, I will be licenced within the next 12 months. (Luck, as we do not even know if there will be any type training in the near future... these days, moving forward, raising the bar, whats good for the business = many AME's and very few LAME's).
Yes, I have a "chip" on my shoulder if you would like to put it that way. I have seen over the years, several LAME's that are nothing short of dangerous. (I haven't necessarily worked with them, but I have seen them). Unfortuately, these individuals are often "carried" by the rest of us, (LAME's and even AME's).
Pass the exams, collect the SOE, become a LAME. If you are adapt to parrot learning, you pass the exams quickly. SOE? Just because you are involved in the task, does not mean you fully understand it! In the end, it's up to the LAME certifying to ensure that the AME understands the task before signing his SOE book.
So how is this relevant to Talk it up Timmy? The ultimate question is why was it not so bloody obvious to the LAME's he worked with, that he was not licenced?
Could it be that incompetent LAME's are that common, nobody suspected him?
Could it be that as an AME, he was competent enough to pass as a LAME?
I think the basic issue is that he is a fraud. Competence is not the issue.