X-Virus-Scanned: clean according to Sophos on Logan.com Return-Path: Sender: To: lml@lancaironline.net Date: Fri, 16 Sep 2005 12:07:06 -0400 Message-ID: X-Original-Return-Path: Received: from esmtp.cave.com ([66.35.72.5] verified) by logan.com (CommuniGate Pro SMTP 5.0c2) with ESMTP id 723943 for lml@lancaironline.net; Fri, 16 Sep 2005 09:41:46 -0400 Received-SPF: none receiver=logan.com; client-ip=66.35.72.5; envelope-from=lancair@ustek.com Received: from [127.0.0.1] ([66.35.73.227]) by esmtp.cave.com (VisNetic.MailServer.v7.2.4.1) with ASMTP id CQN38002 for ; Fri, 16 Sep 2005 09:40:51 -0400 X-Original-Message-ID: <432ACB62.1020107@ustek.com> X-Original-Date: Fri, 16 Sep 2005 09:40:50 -0400 From: N301ES Reply-To: lancair@ustek.com Organization: USTEK Inc. User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.7.2) Gecko/20040804 Netscape/7.2 (ax) X-Accept-Language: en-us, en MIME-Version: 1.0 X-Original-To: Lancair Mailing List Subject: Re: [LML] Re: FAA Trying to stop us all? References: In-Reply-To: Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Posted for "Bill Hooker" : > In effect, they have circumvented the true spirit of amateur built > aircraft Returning to the Ford-powered plans-built designs would get us back to the true spirit of amateur built aircraft - is that what we want? Technology has advanced, performance envelopes have stretched, requirements for certification have tightened. The Pietenpol is a fine though rather limited aircraft, but that's what we'd be building and flying if we were to return to the good old days. Not a single kit built Lancair is actually 51% built by an amateur unless that individual cut a model, made a mold, and formed 51% of the composite components. How many builders have formed their own Plexi canopies? Forged their own gear legs? Designed leading edge heat strips for de-ice? We have all used professional help even if it is only from NAPA or a neighbor who welds for a living. The regulations now require the builder be intimately involved in the building process - that is where amateur built differs from commercially certificated aircraft. The 51% dividing line is based on techniques and hours. If I skin an RV wing in 200 hours and a pro builder skins the rest of the aircraft in 190 hours, then I mastered the skinning technique and spent over 51% of the time. By the time I have built a dozen aircraft I might be as fast as the pro, but amateur built aircraft are a learning experience that is what was accomplished in my single wing skinning. This is the direction I see the amateur built market going - learning about and using state-of-the-art aircraft design concepts, but not being ham strung by regulations and prohibited from using the sophisticated resources that we have available today. Robert M. Simon, ES-P N301ES