You don’t have to know how to fix it, but you do have to know how to tell if it’s been properly maintained.
But the authorization... as a PP I can change tires and muck around with bearings and little rubber tubes, which don't affect airworthiness, but why is a PP considered able to cope with this but a SP is a Stupid Pilot?? This SP v. PP distinction with respect to simple maintenance is just one more reflection of FAA insanity. Having PP "training" (rather inconsistent, that) does NOT convey nor teaches mechanical perception and is not an indication that you know how to tell if it’s been properly maintained, which is every pilot's responsibility.
J.B. Brennan
