I'm not even sure that would be enough anymore Akro, who reads stuff anymore and if its an electronic copy it has to compete with Angry Birds and You Tube for attention!
The safety message has to be taken to those who will benefit most from it. As you stated:
most pilots had a strong mechanical bent. We poked around aeroplanes &
workshops. This has largely changed now and mechanical aptitude is no longer as highly valued in pilots.
Its not even valued by the manufacturer when you look at the manuals that are supplied by the bigger manufacturers. Unfortunately even the format of the report highlights the general trend of keeping knowledge superficial.