Folks,

I'm going to give a dissenting opinion on this whole thing.

When a Lancair goes down and people die, Lancair gets hit with lawsuits.  Yes, it is true they aren't considered the manufacturer of these airplanes, but do you think that stops lawyers from going after them?  You know how informed juries are, considering that there was a case where a woman gets a big payout for spilling coffee on herself.  It would be naïve to think that just because the FAA doesn't consider Lancair a manufacturer, doesn't mean that they won't get assigned some blame by some misinformed jury.

Secondly, I've done some price comparisons between the parts that Lancair sells and other outfits, there isn't a huge difference.  They certainly charge more in many cases.  However, considering the volume of planes Lancair sells, I have a hard time thinking that their parts department is a significant contributor to their bottom line.

I could be wrong, and I don't have an inside view, but it appears as though Lancair has their parts department more as a service than as anything that is really helping the company pay their bills.  It's helpful to go somewhere to get stuff that fits my airplane.  There are some items I just can't get anywhere else.

Considering the cost of our airplanes, the $300 hardly amounts to a hill of beans and I see it as more a formality to help protect Lancair's interests.  I don't see it as a problem.  It also gives the insurance companies some insight into the Lancairs they are insuring.  I look at this as a positive thing that Lancair is doing.  

Scarcity of insurers will certainly drive up our costs.  I glad they are doing things to help keep insurance companies engaged.  It helps in the long run.