Necessity breeds invention

 

Pilots don't trust fuel gauges and we always dip the fuel tanks to verify how much fuel we have on board and need for our next flight.  All light aircraft carry a dip stick calibrated for use with that aircraft

VH-DXJ's dip stick looked like a piece of petrified wood and it's markings were almost illegible.  It was dark in colour so when dipped into fuel it was difficult to tell the upper level of the fuel.  Right from the first day we flew I muttered and cursed VH-DXJ's dipstick.

Wandering around the supermarket at Airlie Beach Bruce spotted a wooden spoon and suggested we use that as a dipstick.  And it was on special!  We purchased that and Robert skillfully marked it with bread knife.  Hallelujah - we now had dipstick that was readable.  I ignore the stares from other pilots as I work around our aircraft when doing a pre-flight inspection carrying a wooden spoon.

Our new wooden spoon dipstick also offers a secondary benefit.  When Robert and Bruce start fighting in the plane, I can belt them with it just like our parents used to do :)

 

Original aircraft dipstick & our new and improved version