pekak, first, I did not specify who you can ask. If you so medakdek – one definition of “talmid chochom” is indeed as you are saying – someone who can answer shailos in the maseches he is learning. A “chochom” is someone who knows to answer in all masechtot.
Frankly, when a question is tricky, I prefer asking a “chochom” – as many shailos crossover multiple areas, as in the brocha on the airplane example above: you need to know brochos, you need to understand what is person’s culture – is pizza a lunch or a desert for him, you need to know middos – are you bothering people around you …
But do you agree that those who lived among cows and learnt Bava Kamma were better informed about halochos of daily life than those who drive cars and did not learn anything about halochos of cars.
Another example: a bochur was driving R Kamenetsky on coney Island and tried to maneuver around a slow bus. Rav stopped him, explaining that “rabim” have preference. This halocho is as commonplace in our days. I presume the bochur knew what to do about a camel and chanuka candles in reshus harabim … why didn’t he know this one? Of course, there might be a bus lane already on Coney Island by now, so someone learnt that lesson.