Connectors — Amphenol Ltd.

DESPITE having worked in the Aircraft Industry for many years, I had never considered the importance of connectors to the operational efficiency of aircraft. That is, until one dark night when I was driving back into London along the M4 motorway, in the centre lane, at a steady 70mph cruise, the engine suddenly stopped. I declutched, disengaged the gear and coasted on, looking for a gap in the nearside traffic to reach the hard shoulder. When I tried to signal left I realised I had suffered a total electrical failure. After a cold wait the AA man came to my rescue, pulled the loom of wires from the engine bulkhead, cleaned up the pins and replaced it. The engine, lights and indicators sprang back into life. I learned about connectors that night!