Guys, our Lancair brother didn’t perish because of his panel, he perished because he flew into weather.  I don’t care what kind of a panel you have; Lancair’s are not all weather aircraft.  We fly single engine, home-built aircraft with very expensive, fancy panels.  Why do we insist on loading them up with de-ice systems and all of the other goodies available to the space shuttle people and NASA?  These aircraft, including the IVP and IVP Turbine are great VFR and light IFR aircraft.  For those of us who insist on flying into weather systems, I wish I could be put me into your wills.  Isn’t it apparent from the number of weather related deaths that we don’t belong there?  I have flown with numerous Lancair pilots (IVP’s) during training and it never ceases to amaze me how someone now believes that he can now go anywhere, anytime because he is flying a Lancair.  I think that the Lancair training syllabus should stress the hazards of weather flying rather than developing systems that will encourage pilots to try their luck!  As to the comment about getting through thunderstorms being 90% God and 10% pilot skill, I prefer to think of it as 100% stupid.  And yes you might ask, I have also fit into this category.  Fly safe, fly smart and come back to fly tomorrow. 

 sent on behalf of Joe Rodriguez