You may remember a lot earlier in 2011, we wrote that Andy Porter, another MAF UK apprentice here at MMS Aviation, became the Senior Apprentice. A handover happens when the current longest serving apprentice finishes their required number of hours in the hangar before sitting their final written and then oral and practical exams to be FAA qualified. He 'hands over' to the apprentice who will complete next.
In the hangar they have a handover 'ceremony' ... there is a 'Senior Apprentice Wrench' which gets handed from one apprentice to the next as they finish the programme. When it got passed to Andy it was renamed the 'Senior Apprentice Spanner' ... if a Brit has it, calling it a wrench isn't quite right!!
Recently Andy completed his own required hours and so the 'Spanner' needed to find a new home in the toolbox of the next apprentice. Mark, Paul Gettle and Ben Fisher are all due to complete their training at MMS around the same time next year, however as Mark started first (not by much!) he got the title and the Spanner!
Last week while he was home looking after his girls who were still recovering from illness, Mark disappeared up to the hangar with Abigail for the latest handover ... when he received this honour! He is a bit skeptical about the 'joys' of being the senior apprentice as the implications are that he is next in line to sit for his exams, not such an exciting prospect!
The 'ceremony' also consists of cake and ice-cream which Abigail enjoyed as much as all the guys in the hangar. While everyone was tucking in to the goodies, Monkey ceased a photo opportunity to claim the Senior Apprentice Spanner for himself.
Congratulations! You are now the Senior Spanner and you have an apprentice! (or something like that... ;-) ).
ReplyDeletePointless information:
In Spanish an adjustable spanner is known as a "llave inglesa" - an English spanner. So I guess it´s definitely a spanner and not a wrench. (Apparently it´s also called a "llave francesa" or "french spanner", but I´ve not heard anyone say that!)