Bollocks.
With no pilots you wouldn't have flight and without bus drivers no buses.
"Engineer" either means you have an engineering degree (the correct definition, in my opinion), or it means you deal with something generally classed as "engineering" -- which could be anything from replacing spark plugs to something verging on quantum physics -- so either you're not really needed unless your specific skill-set is lacking, and a pilot could probably pass your degree, or you're just a monkey who follows instructions well. Whichever way you look at it, engineers are as expendable as the rest of us.
(Me, I'm not... in any way intoxicated, Tue 22 Mar 2011, 19:27, 1 reply)

So folk who are apprentice-trained and time-served in electrical/mechanical/multi-skilled engineering aren't really engineers?

( The Mock TurtIe ™ --- Thinks you are a cunt, on, Wed 23 Mar 2011, 20:49, closed)

Depends what they do - but unless they've a sound theoretical background and actually design new stuff from first principles, then no, they're not.

More than likely they're technicians - and there's *nothing* wrong with being a technician.
(Payload, Wed 23 Mar 2011, 22:28, closed)

What about fitters, where do they stand in the engineer/not engineer debate.
They're the ones who take on more advanced tasks than the technicians.
( The Mock TurtIe ™ --- Thinks you are a cunt, on, Wed 23 Mar 2011, 22:44, closed)