AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2021 - 24

FLYING LIFE
Uncommon common sense
How can I get some of that?
I AM AN EXCELLENT WIFE. I'm so good, in fact, that I
often do things to make my husband feel smarter, like
that time I called him from the driveway because my car
wouldn't start. " Do you have gas in the tank? " he asked,
as I kicked myself for not thinking of the obvious. He
brought me a container of gasoline and went back to
work feeling like a hero.
I frequently bestow this sort of kindness on my
local aircraft mechanic, Karl Zeiset, as well. One
day, I was giving a checkride and walking around
the airplane with a commercial applicant when we
discovered a problem. When the applicant sumped
fuel from the belly drain, only a few drops came out.
So, I got down there to sump it myself, but this time,
no fuel landed in the sump cup. As I went to tell Karl
about our issue, I worried the whole way about the
delay we'd take. We'd probably have to replace that
sump, I thought. Or possibly drain all the fuel out
" It's simple, " he said. " Always start with the
easiest solution and if you still can't figure it out,
then go from the known to the unknown. "
because contaminants were clogging it. Karl considered
the issue thoughtfully, then said, with zero of the
sarcasm I would have added, " Sounds like the fuel is
turned off. Make sure that fuel selector is on. " Sure
enough, the previous pilot had turned the fuel completely
off in error during his shutdown process. I
thought I would need a professional to help me, when
the solution was so simple I could have handled it on
my own all along.
When I speak with checkride applicants and stuNATALIE
BINGHAM
HOOVER is a
CFI, CFII, and
multiengine
instructor with
more than 3,000
hours of dual given.
24 | AOPA PILOT July 2021
dent pilots, this lack of confidence in mechanical issues
is quite common because most of us never grew up
under the hood of a car. There is a growing trend today
to automatically throw things out when they break.
Rather than making a repair, we buy something new.
But, this mentality scares me because I worry that if
we treat some things in our life this way, perhaps we
will do it with everything: My marriage has problems,
I'll walk away and get a new spouse...my job isn't everything
I dreamed it would be, I'll quit and get a new one.
It's not because we don't want to fix things, we just don't
believe we're capable, and that has to change.
BY NATALIE BINGHAM HOOVER
Maybe we can take a few cues from the commonsense
intelligence of those who work on our aircraft.
When writing this piece, I called Karl and asked for the
secret to his mechanical genius. " It's simple, " he said, even
as I seriously doubted this. " Always start with the easiest
solution and if you still can't figure it out, then go from
the known to the unknown. " At this point I started feeling
like a frustrated Luke Skywalker listening to Master Yoda.
But Karl gave some practical examples. If you're having
trouble with something that could be electrical, always
check first to see if it's getting power. For example, if the
starter won't turn, check to make sure the master switch
is on. If the starter is turning, but the engine won't fire,
make sure your magnetos are switched on. If the radio
isn't working, it is nearly always pilot error. Make sure
you have the right switch on the audio panel selected or
that you aren't isolating one crew member. Is the volume
turned up? Always check the circuit breaker before you
get out your screwdriver.
I was once tasked with picking up a Beechjet from
the maintenance shop where we had some work done
on the tail. During my checks, we noticed the beacon
light wouldn't come on. I kid you not, four mechanics
and two pilots sat on that ramp for hours trying to
diagnose the problem, which included everything from
replacing the bulb to pulling off panels and checking
wiring. Finally, someone checked a switch in the cockpit
that never gets touched. What does that switch do?
It isolates nonessential electrical items-like the beacon.
If the " easiest solution " trick doesn't work, then
we can move on to Karl's " known to unknown " advice.
In other words, see if you can find a similar part that's
working well and compare it to what's not. Karl once
came to help with my Cessna seat that wouldn't slide in
its track. When he walked out to the airplane, he went
straight to the other seat that was operating just fine and
played with the levers on it for a bit, sliding it back and
forth. Then he came over and looked at mine, instantly
diagnosing which lever wasn't working properly and
fixing the issue in a few short minutes.
It seems with our airplanes, like so many things in
life, the first step in solving a problem is simply believing
we are capable. After that, a little common sense helps.
And, if you're like me, and often running short on that
particular commodity, remember that the right solution
is often the simplest one.
myaviation101.com
AOPA
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AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2021

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