Honorable Craft & Profession

[Ken MacTiernan]

In the beginning of aviation there were words used such as "romance" and "love" connected with the new frontier of heavier than air machines. Mostly these words were associated with pilots.

Today words used for the same frontier are "knowledge", "skill" & "integrity". However, these words are associated with the men and women as depicted with the professional in this photo... the Aircraft Maintainer who is entrusted with the safety and airworthiness of the aircraft that are flown by those who have a "love" and "romance" with flying.

 

[Barfbag]

This business has been in the toilet since deregulation, if you don't want to disappear in the next flush get out now...

 

[Ed Norton]

When I was growing up in the 1970s in New York City, most people looked up to and respected the blue collar worker. Kids wanted to be cops, firemen, mechanics , pilots( though THEY don't consider themselves blue collar, they are still LABOR). The more ambitious wanted to be engineers, lawyers, doctors etc. Though engineers, lawyers and doctors aren't blue collar occupations, they still provide a service or help make things. In the 1980s things began to change. Now kids started wanting to be investment bankers, stock brokers and other finance capitalism occupations. The Wall Street boom of the afore mentioned decade gave finance capitalism an aura of credibility and acceptability that had been lost after the Great Depression. Today if you wear a suit and tie and talk a good line of crap you gain instant respect while the blue collar working class are viewed as lazy, greedy, entitlement (read PENSION and Soc. Sec.) mooching scrubs. When you meet new people at a party or gathering, or look for an apartment or a new car, the question of: "what do you do?" usually arises. I'll usually say I work at American Airlines. The next question is: "are you a pilot?" or "what do you do?" To which I reply that I am an aircraft mechanic. I am sure I am not the only one on this forum who has gotten the following response about 90% of the time: "OH"

 

[Barfbag]

Hey Norton,

Remember the Honeymooners episode where Ralph told his out of town friend that he ran the bus company and wasn't just a driver. Most people when at these gatherings just want to use the occasion to see where they are in the pecking order. So a mechanic to these types is someone who just changes their car's oil at the car dealership, they don't make the connection.

So next time tell them that you're an aeronautical engineer. Most people don't have a clue about this job either but when you use engineer in your title they tend to not ask further questions.

 

[bob@las-AA]

When I was growing up in the 1970s in New York City, most people looked up to and respected the blue collar worker. Kids wanted to be cops, firemen, mechanics , pilots( though THEY don't consider themselves blue collar, they are still LABOR). The more ambitious wanted to be engineers, lawyers, doctors etc. Though engineers, lawyers and doctors aren't blue collar occupations, they still provide a service or help make things. In the 1980s things began to change. Now kids started wanting to be investment bankers, stock brokers and other finance capitalism occupations. The Wall Street boom of the afore mentioned decade gave finance capitalism an aura of credibility and acceptability that had been lost after the Great Depression. Today if you wear a suit and tie and talk a good line of crap you gain instant respect while the blue collar working class are viewed as lazy, greedy, entitlement (read PENSION and Soc. Sec.) mooching scrubs. When you meet new people at a party or gathering, or look for an apartment or a new car, the question of: "what do you do?" usually arises. I'll usually say I work at American Airlines. The next question is: "are you a pilot?" or "what do you do?" To which I reply that I am an aircraft mechanic. I am sure I am not the only one on this forum who has gotten the following response about 90% of the time: "OH"

You are sooooooo full of ca#p, (you know,,,, the stuff that comes out of the hind end of a horse).
I too was raised in NY and never was asked the level of my social/economic status. I feel you have some deep rooted regrets that places you in a class that is might be shamefully self proclaimed as unworthy of the stasis UPPER CLASS. For the sake of any offspring that you regrettably might have fostered and take pride in the fact they did survive on your grease monkey salary. Get a spine will ya!!!!!

 

[Kev3188]

I dunno... I grew up on the left coast, and what Ed notes occurred there, too. Has nothing to do with a "spine," and everything to do with society's perception of certain occupations/classes.

 

[Ed Norton]

You are sooooooo full of ca#p, (you know,,,, the stuff that comes out of the hind end of a horse).
I too was raised in NY and never was asked the level of my social/economic status. I feel you have some deep rooted regrets that places you in a class that is might be shamefully self proclaimed as unworthy of the stasis UPPER CLASS. For the sake of any offspring that you regrettably might have fostered and take pride in the fact they did survive on your grease monkey salary. Get a spine will ya!!!!!

Ouch! You have some deep psycological issues. There is help for you. Have a good life, bubula.

 

[Ed Norton]

Hey Norton,

Remember the Honeymooners episode where Ralph told his out of town friend that he ran the bus company and wasn't just a driver. Most people when at these gatherings just want to use the occasion to see where they are in the pecking order. So a mechanic to these types is someone who just changes their car's oil at the car dealership, they don't make the connection.

So next time tell them that you're an aeronautical engineer. Most people don't have a clue about this job either but when you use engineer in your title they tend to not ask further questions.

Hillarious. The 'mooners are timeless. I can watch that show over and over and still laugh!
Remember the $60,000 question?
"What do you do for a living Mr. Kramden?" Huminah, huminah, huminah,....I Brive a Dus...
"Mr Kramden for $60,000, who wrote this song ....... Huminah, huminah, huminah...Ed Norton...

 

[Vortilon]

The lady that just gave me a haircut asked the same thing. Almost word for word. So yeah, it does happen.

 

[scorpion 2]

Live in the midwest and it happens here to. No big deal its just an obvious question to ask. As far as bob@las u are an A%% hole!