Posted for <n98pb@sbcglobal.net>:

 As the wife of a pilot who owns a Lancair, I wanted to speak from my
 heart regarding whether or not anyone should pursue their love of
 flying.  My husband began flying in the late 1960's, owning many
 different aircraft, and decided on building a Lancair, ordering his kit
 in 1991, being kit number 52 in the IV series.  There was no
 pressurization kit at that time, but it came along during the building
 process and he was able to make it an add-on.  Speed brakes were also
 added during building.  7 years later (no fast build kits then) he had
 an airplane!
 
 Yes, it is fast.  We get from point A to point B in record time.  We fly
 above most weather.  My husband is conscious of my fear of flying in
 clouds and if weather is iffy, we don't go.  Yes, there have been
 several crashes related to weather lately.  There is nowhere anyone of
 us has to be to die for.  If there is a question of flying in weather
 and you still need to be there, take a commercial flight or drive.
 
 To those who are building and/or considering building, please do not
 rethink your decision based on the accidents of late.  Each person makes
 choices to fly or not to fly, and you must always be aware of your own
 personal abilities and stay within them (this is not to say that any of
 the accidents were because pilots were pushing the envelope).  Flying is
 a great past-time and pursuit.  We each only have but one life here on
 earth.  If it is your passion -- grasp it tightly and run with it.  I
 could no sooner tell my husband not to fly than he could tell me not to
 nag.  (That's for you, Paul.)  Do I worry?  Yes.  Am I concerned about
 his abilities?  No.  He reads the LML religiously, and takes in the
 information provided by those with more knowledge than he.  He makes
 changes to his aircraft as recommended by Lancair and the many pilots
 who have benefited from changes they have made to keep their aircraft
 and their flying abilities safer.  I know of no other group of pilots
 who are as conscientious about safety in their high performance
 aircraft.  Flying is no different than him driving to the airport and
 getting in an accident -- really.
 
 Many of you may remember that last July we had the door window blow out
 at 21,000 feet over Arizona.  My husband remembered the golden rule --
 fly the plane.  He checked all surfaces, made sure he had control, and
 analyzed the situation.  There were holes in the wing from the window
 skipping across it and the left flap was cut clean through from the
 leading edge out.  I can't tell you the number of pilots, including
 commercial pilots, with many many hours of experience, who said, Wow,
 bet you dove for the ground, huh?  No.  He did not.  He recognized that
 to fly the plane, he needed control all the way to the ground.  With the
 flap in that condition, he descended at around 200 to 300 feet per
 minute.  He did not utilize the flap on landing because he didn't know
 if it would stay together if deployed, or worse, if one piece would come
 completely off and hit the tail.  Remember, fly the plane.  He did just
 that and we landed safely.  He repaired the damage, and we were at the
 factory less than 2 months later for the fly-in, repainted and all!  We
 continue to fly without fear of the window blowing out again because
 there were modifications made to the installation because of other
 window blow outs.
 
 The Lancair community is a tight group and we all desperately care and
 are saddened when one of our members is injured or killed.  But taken in
 totality, we know far more folks who have died in car crashes or from
 illnesses.  If you love flying, pursue it with all you have.  Be
 conscious of your decision making skills, your ability to react in an
 emergency, and above all, take the High Performance classes.  They have
 plenty to teach everyone.  Both my husband and I took the class and even
 I, a non-pilot, learned more about weather and the aircraft that gave me
 a better comfort level.  Learn from each mistake made by others -- fly
 safer, fly on the side of caution, and be sure that your abilities are
 up to snuff.  There are enough pilots out there training newbies, and
 with the High Performance ground school and flying program, your
 abilities should not be an issue.  Keep the passion in your heart and go
 with it.  As Leonardo da Vinci said, "When once you have tasted flight,
 you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there
 you have been and there you will always long to return."
 
 Susan Brunner
 N98PB - IVP