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  I fall in the middle ground of the owner Ed de Chazal describes and I'm
the kind that uses builder assist in the manner in which I feel it is a very
valuable
tool.  I had zero experience building and after visiting several builders,
was convinced that this was not an endeavor I wanted to try alone.  Add to
that the lack of space and the right tools (the small list Lancair gives you
is only the beginning) and I made the decision to invest in the services of
a shop that could help me build my plane.  Of the work that's done there, I
do well over half myself.  A great deal of what they do for me is body work,
which doesn't really apply to the 51% rule anyway.  My shop's owner has
been in this business for over 15 years and knows what he's doing.  As a
result, I will end up with a plane far better (and I dare say safer) than
what I'd have done on my own.  It'll be a lot more expensive in the end, but
it'll get done far sooner and I'll be able to fly with peace of mind knowing
I had an expert watching over my shoulder.
  There are, without question, some builder assist outfits that lack the
experience or quality control to be doing this, so the owner needs to
research this aspect very carefully if he decides to make use of this kind
of service.  I agree with the point that shops that build kitplanes to
completion without any owner participation violate the intent as well as the
letter of the rules.  But for someone like me, it was either this or I
wouldn't be building my plane at all.
  Skip Slater
  ~80% IO-540 ES

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