I bought my 320 kit in 1994 and have been slowly but steadily working on it ever since. I'm probably the nightmare customer for Lancair -- still needing support after 15 years. But they have not asked me to pay a fee nor warned me that the next buyer needs to pay a license fee, endure an aircraft inspection, nor obtain training before Lancair will sell them parts. This was a big surprise to me. On the other hand, as I have no intention of ever selling my plane, I don't really care -- that's the next owner's problem. And I suspect that a person paying close to a hundred grand for my plane can pony up $300 the first time they need Lancair's help, although I suspect that it will be a long time before they decide they can't get serviced somewhere else.
I suppose that Lancair has a right to insist on money, company inspections and training before they pick up the phone and give advice or sell spare parts to new Lancair owners. On the other hand, I think it's a horrible business practice, and the customer base is going to find alternatives. The Lancair Mail List provides excellent support for the older kits. As for parts, I stll maintain that for parts that are competitively priced, we should buy from Lancair to help them stay in business. The problem is, their parts prices have grown significantly and I can often find what I need significantly cheaper from another source, so I do. I rarely buy from Lancair anymore, although I occasionally do. (I've also got almost everything I need so I don't buy many parts at all anymore.)
The one place where I agree with the motivation is to ensure that Lancair aircraft are safe and the pilots are adequately trained. We qall know there's a problem and I see LOBO as the main group trying to change this. From Lancair's perspective, however, if you were selling a kit and the owners were getting killed due to inadequate training, what would you as the company owner do to motivate owners to get the training? Maybe something like this. Maybe something even better, such as have us pay a fee which would be waived if we get training. Food for thought?
As for inspections, we all heard about the catastrophe where a Lancair inspector caused a plane to fall off its jacks and sustain significant damage. That was inexcusable, but I only heard one story like that. I'm curious as to whether this is a one-time event or do they really have a crew of buffoons destroying all the planes they inspect? I sincerely doubt that they do -- most of the Lancair folks I've met are pretty good. But stuff happens, and if the company makes it right (did they?) what else can they do?
As for myself, I intend to hire someone to inspect my plane and fly it for the first time. I'll call Lancair for recommendations when the time comes. I've been planning that for a decade, so this isn't anything new.
Bottom line? I think the fee is probably eaten up by them actually providing support, and is small potatoes, but is still grating. I'd rather call 1-900 LANCAIR and pay for it on my phone bill. (At least that way my wife won't know, and besides, did I really pay for 15 years worth of answers when I bought my kit?) As for mandatory inspections and training, I think it is a draconian attempt aimed at a laudable goal -- better aircraft and pilots. But jeez, do they have to piss off the entire community to get there?
Just some thoughts.
- Rob Wolf
Lancair 360 still in progress