Hamid,

 

Thanks for a lucid analysis.   Lorn is a friend of mine and I refrained from making a comment (I guess that makes me an enabler).  Today he called me and I told him I would not have made the same decision.  I didn't say that I wouldn't have even taken off with a questionable battery into 600 miles of bad weather.  You are right that the error chain links must be broken ASAP and, preferably, on the ground.  I am happy that things turned out OK for him but I hope no one else tries to "get home" given the same scenario. 

 

My backup is an electric gyro (S-Tec AP) - no electricity, no gyro, no backup, no flight.  I am not worried as much about the ignition system since I have many alternatives, including a last ditch, half ignition system, sole purpose backup battery with 1 hour to "find an airport"  once in an emergency situation plan "B" and which, BTW, also matches my always full, 1 hour of fuel available in the header tank in case of a "total" electrical failure.  Hmmmmm, I forgot to ask Lorn how fuel gets to his carburetor - and from where?...

 

Interesting that Barry Schiff (June 2005 AOPA PILOT, "Obligated to Land") wrote about the BA flight with less than a full engine complement flying from LA to London and he mentions an often ignored FAR pertinent to us.  To wit, 91.7(b) -- paraphrasing: the pilot in command, if any at the time, shall discontinue the flight  when unairworthy .......,electrical, ..... conditions occur.  Gee, I wonder how an insurance company's layer (oops, lawyer) might interpret that during a claim request after a battery went nuts during a flight and the flight didn't quite make it all the way to the yearned for destination?

 

Now, if I can only remember to turn off my cell phone.......