Sanderbeck Takes Pitot-Static Systems Seriously
It’s clear that Kirk Sanderbeck has a passion for pitot-static systems and enjoys passing on his expertise. The U.S. Air Force Vietnam veteran has been known to tutor employees, customers and FAA personnel on the intricacies and elegance of the aircraft’s pressure sensitive equipment.
“With pilots only getting a thousand feet of separation between aircraft with RVSM, my work has to be precise. The system can leak in over 200 places, and it is a challenge to be able to narrow down the problem in just a few hours. A half hour is my best time but I’ve had systems that took me an entire day to find the leak,” said Sanderbeck, who serves as an avionics senior technician, pitot-static-RVSM technician and compass rose master for StandardAero’s Springfield, Ill. (SPI) facility.
Starting in 1973, Sanderbeck has been an integral part of all of StandardAero’s legacy businesses. After four decades of working in aircraft maintenance for both the military and civil aviation industries, Sanderbeck is now focused on human factors training and is a member of the Great Lakes Regional FAA Safety Team (FAAST). He recently garnered the FAA Avionics Technician Great Lakes Regional of the Year Award.
Perhaps Sanderbeck is most known for his advice to live by on the job. His rules make up a bit of SPI’s “knowledge and folklore” passed on to the next generation of technicians.
“I started the rules when I was in the Air Force, and gradually added more over time. Some began as a joke but ended up becoming an important point like not throwing anything at me I can’t catch,” said Sanderbeck.
A Few of Kirk’s Rules
- Always have two wrenches when working on a pitot-static system.
- Wear a hat when on the Compass Rose.
- Don’t throw anything at me I can’t catch.
- Don’t get me dirty.
- “Kirk said” is not approved data.
- Don’t step or roll anything across my pitot-static hoses.