Flight Training - June 2014 - 24

AROUND THE PATCH

By Heather Baldwin

MAINTAINING PROFICIENCY

GET COMFORTABLE UNDER THE COWLING

ZACHARY SCHWENDENMAN performs his own
maintenance on his Bonanza.

achary Schwendenman's résumé reads like the culmination
of a lifetime devoted to aviation: director of maintenance for a
scheduled airline; 1,300-hour private pilot with experience in
20 different aircraft models; two-time airplane owner, including one he personally restored and then swapped for a bigger one. Los
Angeles-area commuter-in a Beech Bonanza.
The real stunner, however, is this: He is
just 25 years old.
With these kinds of accomplishments
at such a young age, you'd think Schwendenman grew up breathing avgas and
playing on taxiways; in fact, his family has
no connection to aviation. Nevertheless,
Schwendenman was born with the sky
tugging at his heart. "I've wanted to fly for
as long as I can remember," he says.
Every pilot knows that yearning. At age
16, Schwendenman convinced his parents
to match his summer earnings for a pilot
certificate. He started taking flying lessons,
washed airplanes on weekends, got to
know the FBO mechanics, and soon found
himself getting on-the-job training in aircraft maintenance during lulls in the day.
Schwendenman discovered that his
growing mechanical knowledge was making him a better pilot. "I realized that the
more I understood about maintenance,
the better I would understand in-flight
emergencies," he says.

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FLIGHTTRAINING.AOPA.ORG

Case in point: At age 19, working full
time maintaining corporate jets, Schwendenman bought a 1948 Cessna 140.
One hot summer morning, the engine
shuddered, followed immediately by a
reduction in power. None of the checklist
items fixed the problem. Schwendenman
put the airplane down in the desert, on a
quiet stretch of Route 66.
A test later revealed the number-2
cylinder ran 50 degrees hotter than the
others. Schwendenman deduced that
while the CHT gauge had read within limits on the flight, the cylinders were likely
at the upper edge of those limits, pushing
number 2 into an overheated state and
causing the engine to seize. Following the
incident, he installed an engine monitor with four-cylinder CHT and EGT for
a complete picture of in-flight engine
performance.
In private pilot training, we are given
a rudimentary explanation of airplane
systems, but taking the time to develop

a deeper understanding of an airplane's
mechanical functioning can make us
more confident pilots and more capable
aircraft owners. If you're like me and
not sure where to start, Schwendenman
suggests we renters ask our FBO to take a
good look at an airplane while it is opened
up for its annual and, if possible, have
a mechanic provide a rundown of the
systems. He urges owners to do at least
one owner-assisted annual to really get to
know their airplane.
No one knew that Cessna 140 better
than Schwendenman. Over roughly three
years, in moments of downtime between
work and school and earning his airframe
and powerplant certificate, he completely
restored it. About the time he was finished
and wishing for a bigger airplane to take
up more friends, his 140 caught the eye of
a Bonanza owner who suggested a direct
swap. The Bonanza was older, but the prepurchase inspection revealed zero defects,
and Schwendenman could see the possibilities. They shook hands and swapped.
Schwendenman was 22 years old.
Today, in addition to flying his friends to
fun places, he uses the Bonanza to circumvent Los Angeles-area congestion on his
commute to work as director of maintenance for SurfAir.
While he didn't foresee his pilot
training taking him into maintenance,
Schwendenman wouldn't have it any
other way. His maintenance training has
given him a career, increased confidence
in the cockpit, and provided the ability
to transform aircraft. He recommends all
pilots develop a deeper understanding of
what's going on under the cowling. Who
knows? Like Schwendenman, you just
may discover you like it under there.
Heather Baldwin is a Phoenix-based writer and
commercial pilot.

http://FLIGHTTRAINING.AOPA.ORG

Flight Training - June 2014

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