Zachary 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.
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.
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