Operational familiarity is different from scientific theory. A civilian captain or senior crew member may not derive the engine's physics, but can know the machinery well enough to identify an abnormal sound and direct a repair immediately. That tacit knowledge affects maintenance, fault diagnosis, and the time needed to make replacement crews effective. Experienced operators and institutional memory are part of a fleet's capability alongside written specifications and advanced technology.
Notable Point · 1:00:32-1:01:23
Experienced captains carry tacit technical knowledge
Operators may not explain every underlying theory, yet long familiarity lets them diagnose a ship by its sounds, rhythms, and small deviations.