lml@lancaironline.net Mailing List Archive

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<--->>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> << Lancair Builders' Mail List >> <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<--->>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >> I have to echo Brent's comment on the recent crash of 424E. It saddens me deeply, too, and I still have some of his sage advice e-mail to me that have helped me through the building and flying process. I have to echo an appeal for conservatism. One of the things that I have learned as an orthopedic surgeon is that things aren't always as they seem, and after 1400 spinal cord surgeries, I am often impressed with the question "What would I have done had I not done the 1350 prior surgeries?" Something always comes up in the process to make a routine case not so routine. Blood loss, spinal cord monitoring, blood pressure, end expiratory pressures, and so on, seem to be the same things we monitor as we fly, EGT, CHT, fuel flow, and so on. So it goes with flying. I know the flight plan computer called for 73 gallons, just like I estimate a surgery scheduled for 3 hours. Tony was great at championing 50 LOP for speed and CHT considerations and 277 knots, just like I estimated blood loss for a cervical fusion to be 50 cc, plus or minus 300 cc. I wonder how many of you have had flights that the ETA, fuel burn, ETE, weather winds, ATC delays all conspired to make the printout look like a mere suggestion of accuracy? This also includes estimates of reserves of just 7 gallons. There is a saying in orthopedic surgery that indicates one should avoid surgeons that are good at getting out of trouble. No flight is necessarily routine or predictable, and conservative measures should be chosen. I have a personal guideline that can be summarized " I'd rather be in the lounge wishing I were operating, that operating wishing I was in the lounge" Every time I pushed the margins, I seem to recall that more often than normal. In both fields we bury our mistakes. Michael D Smith Cervical Spine Specialists >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> LML website: http://www.olsusa.com/mkaye/maillist.html LML Builders' Bookstore: http://www.buildersbooks.com/lancair Please send your photos and drawings to marvkaye@olsusa.com. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>