Troubleshooting Skills

How are your troubleshooting skills? A past discussion with a manufacturer’s tech rep seems to suggest mechanics who have good troubleshooting skills are not as common as they once were. “Good troubleshooters are few and far between,” he says. “A good troubleshooter is worth his or her weight in gold! Many mechanics these days don’t have any troubleshooting skills. If they get in a bind, they just call us to solve their problem.”

Relying on a tech rep to help you every time you can’t figure out a problem isn’t good business. In addition, tech reps aren’t at your facility to troubleshoot the problem in person. I guess it is better talking to a tech rep than the worse option — blindly replacing parts until the problem is solved.

I was fortunate to attend FlightSafety International’s Principles of Troubleshooting course in 2018. Even though I considered myself to be a good troubleshooter before taking the class, I came away with a better understanding of how to troubleshoot aircraft more effectively and efficiently. My only regret after taking the course was why I didn’t take it years ago when I first started turning wrenches. 

I believe spending money to learn how to be a better troubleshooter is a great investment. If you ever have the opportunity, take the Principles of Troubleshooting class! Trust me, you won’t regret it! If you are in a position where you can send your workers to the class, do it! It’s an investment that will quickly pay for itself in increased safety, decreased downtime and a more efficient workforce!

Thanks for reading,

Joe