Being as this thread has already 'drifted'...as a slight aside...
In his book 'Flight Path' Frank T Courtney writes that he was an apprentice with and got his 'ticket' at the Grahame White school at Hendon pre WW1.He joined the RFC as an AM 2 (Air Mechanic 2nd class),he was already an experienced engine mechanic - so quite a rarity then ,but due to a chronic pilot shortage and because he was already a civilian pilot he voluntarily took on some of the less popular flying tasks and despite wearing spectacles was eventually given RFC wings whilst still an AM2
and without any military flying training/test.He eventually managed to wangle his way to france to operational sqdns, was eventually promoted through the ranks to captain and became a freelance test pilot post war (inc for cierva on the autogiro).
Fascinating book by the way...really unputdownable
I believe that there was one other airman pilot in WW1 ,but he was an AM 1
