From: AVIDWIZ@aol.com
Message-ID: <17c.977764.29487899@aol.com>
Date: Wed, 12 Dec 2001 04:08:41 EST
Subject: Re: insurance assoc - Dave Morss Comments
To: morss@pacbell.net, lancair.list@olsusa.com
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Reply-To: lancair.list@olsusa.com

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Gentlemen:

One of the really great things about America is its protection of everyones 
right to free speech.  One need never be concerned about the denial or 
censure of this right absent malice or falsehood.    This right was recently 
used by Mr. Dave Morss, Lancairs Factory test pilot and the Reno Air Racer 
whose plane was also sponsored by Lancair factory and who has set a world 
speed record in another factory sponsored Lancair IVP.

While I certianly bow to his superior knowledge of airplanes in general and 
lancairs in particular, I cannot agree with his comparison of his own 
training needs with those of us who are part time pilots.

I cannot envision how any insurance company would impose upon Mr. Morss in 
his 360 the same requirements which a pilot with far less experience in a 
much more complex aircraft.   

He mentions that budgets for annual Lear Jet training were set at $7,000.   
Well...thats great for professional pilots who fly 5 days a week and thats 
probably ample for them.  What about those of us who have non-flying jobs..we 
should expect to take more time to get through the same tutorial given our 
steeper learning curve.

My point to all of this is that - in my opinion - a force of many has proven 
throughout history to always have more influance than the force of an 
individual.   It is for this reason that organizations such as AOPA, EAA, 
ALPA and NAA have prospered.   Their ability to use the bargining power of a 
group to leverage improved conditions for the individual is proven.

If 100 Lancair owners - representing an estimated $800,000 in annual premiem 
want a discount - what reasonable businessman would NOT listen?

It was mentioned by another individual that the Bonanza Assoc. did receive 
discounted insurance rates for its members but sought to postulate that this 
was different as the Bonanza is not as high performance as the Lancair.  I 
agree --- BUT remember when the Bonanza was called the "Doctor Killer" --  it 
seems to me that proper organized training helped put an end to this and was b
rought on by groups such as now is suggested for the Lancair.

Simply stated:  Insurance companies will be swayed by the perception of 
reduced risk (in the form of better trained pilots and more carefully 
inspected aircraft) and they will be swayed by the old American tried and 
true greed factor (in the form of a large potential annual premium for the 
group)

So why do I care you ask?

Its not because I cannot afford the insurance, or the cost to replace my 
plane if something happens to it for that matter.  It is simply because I see 
a situation whereby if we do not get our collective acts together and put a 
stop to the accidents, it may soon be impossible to insure our planes at any 
price.   This from a personal perspective would expose my family to the risk 
of litigation if I were to do something stupid and get myself or someone else 
killed in the process.

Someone said recently that many of the crashes were by high time experienced 
pilots.  Regardless of whether this is due to pilot error, faulty construct
ion or flawed design, it needs to stop because if it can happen to a 30,000 
hr 747 pilot it can happen to the rest of us.   Believe me you can bet that 
thought has gone through the mind of every insurance underwriter in the 
country in light of this summer dismal accident record for our aircraft type. 
  

Better more organized training and more closely monitored construction can 
become the start toward acheiving a safer end result for all.   If I have to 
expend some time and money to make it happen its a wise investment.

Dave Riggs
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