Thank you very much for your kind words Vibes. I've had to call on my own experiences over the years to give these lads a taster of what to expect on their placements. There wasn't a set curriculum at the start, so I've had to make it up as I went along and since this is the first time I've been involved with the chalk and talk, it's been a relearning experience for me too.
I have to say that I left aviation maintenance 9 years ago although I did go to work for the LAA at Turweston for a little while in between. However, if I've fallen into a niche where I can do some good then perhaps I should give it some consideration and stick around, especially if I'm to get Ppruners encouraging me like this.
As for F1 mechanics, well I know one who is aircraft trained, last heard of with the Renault team.