I'm gonna go against the grain and agree with muttywhitedog, we are hardly engineers.
I mean the Reds have proven none TG1 SP can do Flight Line work with the trial a few winters ago.
The clue is in the name on the RAF Careers site, we are Technicians.
Before the old and bold on here wahh about Airworthiness, the authority your sig holds etc. Yes it's a lot, I agree and I'm a TG1 Senior. But then does a TFL Bus Mechanic/Supervisor not hold similar authority? Mr Mechanic and Mr Supervisor are maintaining a large metal object which holds a lot of members of the general public, if that goes wrong and a lot of people die. Thats bad right?
But do we call them Engineers? No we don't.
Heck the clue is also even in the course that Chiefs and above are now mandated to do to get promoted. STAC - Senior Technician Airworthiness Course.
I was one of the lucky few (Along with Spearmint, who likes to remind everyone on here) who worked F35 in the states, did our Q in the states and spent a lot of time maintaining them. Our Q Course instructors at Eglin told us the jet is designed to be maintained by the lowest common denominator, which is a Private in the USMC. The same Private who can join the USMC as infantry and then is streamed instead to an aircraft tech role at the end of basic because they need them instead.
Do you need something about you? Yes you do. Do you need a abit of a technical mind? Yes you do.
But we are not engineers, same could be said for the BT Engineer who comes and drills a hole in your house for your broadband. Or the Sky Engineer who fits a dish. Overused.
I'll prepare myself and be ready for wahhs, but we all know its true. The core job is getting easier, but what isn't is the fact a lot of people are stretched, covering/supervising different things and are just getting sick of it.
Roles in civvy street our training and experience can get us into can pay the same/more and have much less of the associated bollocks such as deployments, being away from family, MOD 1, Fitness Tests and everything else that comes with military life.
Hence the FRI to try and keep people in. Its starting to effect flying hours and AC availability and heaven forbid the winged master race have that.