Posted for Bill Maddox <reddog@bentonrea.com>:
 
  Re: 4p and 4pt
  
  Ok fellow pilots, here is my take on this accident problem. We as a group
  seem to think we know it all when it comes to flying planes. Much of the
  group is single engine 500 hours and less when starting out with this
  Lancair product and yes, there are some with many hours . The majority of
 the fleet pilots started flying this plane with not a drop of 18000' and above
  flying and I can probably say without really getting into the stats 95%
  hadn't ever really gone to a real flight training company like Flight-Safety
  or Simuflight.

 I see only one way this accident problem can be reduced...
 that is to set up a program with either of these schools as a pre-requirement to
  flying this equipment. I said this some time past on this site and nothing
  has changed other than the accidents keep developing at a faster rate than
  it should be. I'm not pointing fingers at Pete Z but the sim is what I
  think is a must and the training in them is invaluable . Sitting at a desk
  and hearing about a situation is one thing, but really being in one in a
 sim is where the real training occurs. We as pilots seem to be lazy and I consider myself
  in that category, but real time sim training seems to wake up the real
 pilot  in all of us . It is just as hard to fly this plane when things are going
  badly as an airliner,  for us the problem is a single pilot problem but an
  airliner has a min of 2 pilots with sim training... every 6 months for PIC
 and 12 months on the co-pilot.

 Sitting down at a table is a start but this needs to be
  polished up a bit for all. I have lost several friends to this plane in
 the past from this state and I really don't want to lose any more. They seem
 to be stupid mistakes but they will bite and they have... approach speeds too
  slow, taking off in a blinding snow storm, or running out of fuel short
  of the runway thinking the gauges were correct. I'm sure we all can sit
 down and remember past pilots from your state that had accidents similar to the
  ones here in Washington. Pete can tell you all about the Flight Safety
  program where he trains in the Gulfstreams in Savanna, Ga.  Nice place,
  great people and good sims. You can even train on the shuttle there. I
 have  heard nothing but good re: training from people that Charlie K has
 trained. You see, Charlie is a Pan Am Pilot retired with many hours training in sims.
 He probably has more training hours then most people have flying. Anyway,
 Charlie, keep up the great work.
 

   Example of the typical accident this year was a pilot that flew his 4pt
  like a piston powered plane. BTW, there isn't any limiting equipment after
  start that will keep you from over-temping or over-revving the Walters. It
  all goes back to training... this guy took off from a Montana airport and
  really blew up his motor as he rotated.  Motor parts went through the
 case.  This is a case of poor training and lack of ability or desire to get some.
 I really don't know who trained this person on his initial check out or if there
 was anyone. Some of you who want papers and registration might look into that

 Bill Maddox
 
    Sims I've trained in : United, Piedmont, UPS, Boeing, Eastern, American,
  Braniff /corporate also: Flight Safety: G-2, N265, k-200-300.  Simuflight,
  k-200-300  and some others I forgot. I have over 20,000 hrs with 3/4 of
 that in large jets... 737, 727, dc-9's.  I'm turning 60 this next month and look back on
 my flying career and I can honestly say I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for
 the training