I think we have to define Engineer to get to the point.
In British usage, Engineer is
1) someone trained and certified to repair things, or
2) alternately, someone who is trained in the University to understand Math, Science and Mechanics and design machines.
In the states we say mechanic and engineer for those roles.
In the question asked by bugdevheli, I believe both skills are needed, to some degree, by a successful pilot today. With little interest in understanding why? or how? for his machine, a pilot is the lesser for it.
I think that at the level we believe that many car drivers are at (the little red light says "Oil Pressure", what do I do?) an aircraft pilot is downright dangerous. Someday we might make machines that require less attention.