From the very beginning, when Orville and Wilbur Wright hired Charles Taylor, there was a code of ethics involved in aviation maintenance [Taynd]. Of course, as aviation has evolved, so has the code of ethics. The Federal Aviation Administration, FAA, even has an agency-wide Ethics Program, that is managed by the Office of Government Ethics, OGE [Fed14]. One of the greatest mantras that an aircraft mechanic can follow would be "The Mechanic's Creed." This creed was written by the founder of the Flight Safety Foundation, Jerome Lederer: "Upon my honor I swear that I shall hold in sacred trust the rights and privileges conferred upon me as a certified mechanic. Knowing full well that the safety and lives of others are dependent upon my skill and judgment, I shall never knowingly subject others to risks which I would not be willing to assume for myself, or for those dear to me. .
In discharging this trust, I pledge myself never to undertake work or approve work which I feel to be beyond the limits of my knowledge nor shall I allow any non-certified superior to persuade me to approve aircraft or equipment as airworthy against my better judgment, nor shall I permit my judgment to be influenced by money or other personal gain, nor shall I pass as airworthy aircraft or equipment about which I am in doubt either as a result of direct inspection or uncertainty regarding the ability of others who have worked on it to accomplish their work satisfactorily. I realize the grave responsibility which is mine as a certified airman, to exercise my judgment on the airworthiness of aircraft and equipment. I, therefore, pledge unyielding adherence to these precepts for the advancement of aviation and for the dignity vocation." [Led41].
When a mechanic turns their first wrench on an aircraft, they must consider just how many lives are being placed in their hands, and take pride in the work that they do.