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Arrogance breeds arrogance my flying friends. I can say that from a unique perspective as not only a veteran maintenance person but also as an avid and current rated pilot. I carry every major certification possible with the FAA and fly constantly when I am not fixing what the aviators break. I do so out a passion for aviation and my fellow countryman cheating death by the millisecond. But I dont have to have wings on my chest to prove I am someone, they dont define me they let others know where I come from. I will take any of you up in a heartbeat and probably show you something you have never seen or know how to handle and likewise myself with you. My advise, dont be so arrogant to think your Wings of Gold are more than the designation of others. You dont fly alone when you leave the deck....probably a squadron of 25-50 strong maintainers and an around 350+ AIMD Maintainers there watching you succeed.
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Really? Seriously, I am not try to be a smart a--, but you hold private, commercial and/or ATP & CFI/CFII ratings in multiple categories and classes? You are a DPE, an A&P and an AI? Glider, multi engine land & sea, lighter than air, powered lift, rotorcraft helicopter, rotorcraft autogyro?
I am not doubting you. Just trying to clarify.
I hear what you are saying. Your perspective is not as unique as you may think. I am a maintenance test pilot in the Army (NOT the same as a functional check pilot in the Navy). I see and live both sides on a daily basis. I assign aircraft. I test fly aircraft. I troubleshoot aircraft. I am on TI orders. I fly missions. I have a different MOS (153DG vs 153D), but get no special pin. My active duty counter parts get a $20k bonus. I get nothing.
You seem to have a bit of arrogance yourself. You claim the aviators break things, but neglect to add that the maintainers break things too. Your perspective is not as unbiased as you claim. I am not discounting the hard work required to earn the pin or designation. It is evident you have worked hard to earn it. Maybe even harder than some of the others who have earned it and most certainly harder than some of those who may follow you. You may have even worked harder than other warfare disciplines have to get their pins. The point is, where does it stop? Do I deserve special Army/Naval Aviator Wings with a wrench, star, wreath, blah blah blah. It is like the cool little pins we get from Sikorsy for 1000 hrs in one of their aircraft, doing a rescue, combat hours, etc... Maybe we should just weld each of those onto our warfare devices each time we earn one.
Personally, a 1000 traps patch for a back seater seems a bit lame (I know I'll catch he77 for that), but I don't make the rules. Maybe I am just disgruntled because we can't wear green pickle suits in the Army anymore. A2CUs bite the big one!!! There...I said it!
When you are wounded in the field, do you want to get on a UAV or a medevac helicopter flown by REAL pilots? I see what a weak radar altitude hold does when a brand new M model Blackhawk is shooting a coupled hover. Its a long time before an automated system can land an aircraft reliably in an LZ. Heck, I am happy now if the thing can stay over the runway and not prang its tail upon deceleration.
