Avionics News April 2012 - 75

Mechanics don’t get much electrical troubleshooting experience in schools or on the job, but avionics technicians do. Some colleges and schools teaching mechanics have modified their curriculum to add more electrical experience. Avionics technicians like us can help.

we will have eliminated the bus unit as a possible source of the problem. There is something special about avionics technicians. Rarely do they exhibit fear and trepidation regarding systems they know little about. This lack of fear can cause trouble if a shop takes on a repair project on a box it is not certified. It’s hard for an avionics technician to say no. I think the best technicians live for the thrill of learning about a system, then repairing a difficult problem. I always get a little adrenaline rush when I fix something. The more difficult I find the repair, the bigger the rush. For nontechnicians, it’s a bit like the small charge one gets after solving a Sudoku, crossword or jigsaw puzzle. Avionics technicians enjoy the hunt. Mechanics get a charge out of a good repair. For them, the enjoyment comes from executing a repair process. Mechanical troubleshooting is different from electronic troubleshooting in the sense that problems of a

mechanical nature show visually. An inspection will show a valve burned, an oil leak, a cracked spar or any number of signs, which, compared to electronic problems, are quite obvious. The mechanic will get the charge when the engine runs smoothly or the spar repair is undetectable, as if nothing was ever wrong. I’ve seen the pride a mechanic takes in a difficult repair. In one case, the problem was painfully obvious: 14 cracked wing ribs, a broken spar and shredded fabric. No scientific troubleshooting was necessary, but the repair, and a bit of engineering, was quite difficult. In the end, the wing looked like new. The mechanic was right to take pride. For an avionics technician, few things are so obvious. We cannot see the burned substrate within a chip. An electrolytic capacitor may show no sign the electrolyte has leaked. Cracked insulation inside a transformer can also be impossible to see, and the short impossible to detect with an ohmmeter. Avionics technicians get a charge by being the sleuth

who deduces the problems. From the start of an electronics education, technicians are learning to measure voltage, resistance and current to deduce what is going on inside the components. Systems knowledge and experience make avionics technicians into experts at analysis. It’s successful analysis that makes these technicians proud – the more complex the puzzle, the bigger the thrill. Replacing a chip is easy. With six weeks or less of training, nearly anyone could replace a chip. Determining which chip to replace takes much more skill. Yes, we avionics technicians are special people. We could give Sherlock Holmes a run for his money. We observe, deduce, theorize and test our theories. Even a simple return to service test follows a scientific method. For example, our thesis statement could be, “this transponder is airworthy.” We test the thesis by subjecting the transponder to a variety of tests. We connect our test equipment and check power,
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Avionics News April 2012

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Avionics News April 2012

Point of Communication
AEA Now
The View from Washington
International News and Regulatory Updates
Datalink Weather
Member Profile
Where Are They Now?
Before & After
Phoebe Fairgrave Omlie
A Conversation With...
Aircraft Electrical Wiring
Meet the AEA Staff
Member Profile
The AEA Ambassador Program
Business Basics
Pro-to-col
Industry Profile
Theory & Practice
What's New
Marketplace Classifieds
Avionics News April 2012 - Cover1
Avionics News April 2012 - Cover2
Avionics News April 2012 - 1
Avionics News April 2012 - 2
Avionics News April 2012 - 3
Avionics News April 2012 - Point of Communication
Avionics News April 2012 - 5
Avionics News April 2012 - AEA Now
Avionics News April 2012 - 7
Avionics News April 2012 - 8
Avionics News April 2012 - 9
Avionics News April 2012 - 10
Avionics News April 2012 - 11
Avionics News April 2012 - 12
Avionics News April 2012 - 13
Avionics News April 2012 - 14
Avionics News April 2012 - 15
Avionics News April 2012 - The View from Washington
Avionics News April 2012 - 17
Avionics News April 2012 - International News and Regulatory Updates
Avionics News April 2012 - 19
Avionics News April 2012 - Datalink Weather
Avionics News April 2012 - 21
Avionics News April 2012 - 22
Avionics News April 2012 - 23
Avionics News April 2012 - Member Profile
Avionics News April 2012 - 25
Avionics News April 2012 - 26
Avionics News April 2012 - 27
Avionics News April 2012 - Where Are They Now?
Avionics News April 2012 - 29
Avionics News April 2012 - 30
Avionics News April 2012 - 31
Avionics News April 2012 - 32
Avionics News April 2012 - Before & After
Avionics News April 2012 - Phoebe Fairgrave Omlie
Avionics News April 2012 - 35
Avionics News April 2012 - 36
Avionics News April 2012 - 37
Avionics News April 2012 - A Conversation With...
Avionics News April 2012 - 39
Avionics News April 2012 - Aircraft Electrical Wiring
Avionics News April 2012 - 41
Avionics News April 2012 - 42
Avionics News April 2012 - 43
Avionics News April 2012 - 44
Avionics News April 2012 - 45
Avionics News April 2012 - Meet the AEA Staff
Avionics News April 2012 - 47
Avionics News April 2012 - 48
Avionics News April 2012 - 49
Avionics News April 2012 - Member Profile
Avionics News April 2012 - 51
Avionics News April 2012 - 52
Avionics News April 2012 - 53
Avionics News April 2012 - The AEA Ambassador Program
Avionics News April 2012 - 55
Avionics News April 2012 - 56
Avionics News April 2012 - 57
Avionics News April 2012 - 58
Avionics News April 2012 - 59
Avionics News April 2012 - Business Basics
Avionics News April 2012 - 61
Avionics News April 2012 - 62
Avionics News April 2012 - 63
Avionics News April 2012 - 64
Avionics News April 2012 - 65
Avionics News April 2012 - Pro-to-col
Avionics News April 2012 - 67
Avionics News April 2012 - 68
Avionics News April 2012 - 69
Avionics News April 2012 - Industry Profile
Avionics News April 2012 - 71
Avionics News April 2012 - 72
Avionics News April 2012 - 73
Avionics News April 2012 - Theory & Practice
Avionics News April 2012 - 75
Avionics News April 2012 - 76
Avionics News April 2012 - 77
Avionics News April 2012 - 78
Avionics News April 2012 - 79
Avionics News April 2012 - What's New
Avionics News April 2012 - 81
Avionics News April 2012 - 82
Avionics News April 2012 - 83
Avionics News April 2012 - 84
Avionics News April 2012 - 85
Avionics News April 2012 - Marketplace Classifieds
Avionics News April 2012 - 87
Avionics News April 2012 - 88
Avionics News April 2012 - Cover3
Avionics News April 2012 - Cover4
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