Outside of large training organizations or fleet operations, there is little standardization of equipment, systems or procedures within general aviation. Toss in a few years among different owners and identical airplanes that rolled off an assembly line together 10 or 20 years earlier will vary wildly in their equipment, maintenance history and wear and tear. So despite having piles of experience flying a specific type, it may take a while to become familiar with a different example, even one bearing a consecutive serial number.
On one level, that’s a nice problem to have, since learning a new-to-us airplane’s capabilities and quirks helps ensure we can safely operate it and prepares us for the next one we fly after it. On another level, though, lack of standardization can leave us confused—or worse—when we expect one outcome but are confronted with another. Unmet expectations can lead to undesirable outcomes.
