From: marv@lancair.net
Subject: Re: Clearing up some information about the Legacy accident.
To: lml
Date: Sun, 03 Aug 2008 20:52:05 -0400
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Posted for "Alan Adamson" <aadamson@highrf.com>:

  Geez, there is so much dis-information that gets sprinkled around the net,
  it's just amazing.
  
  So, I'm going to only stick to the facts around the airplane and offer
  nothing around the accident.  While some may feel that speculation is good
  for non-repeat, I'm a little too close to this one and want to honor the
  spirit of those involved.
  
First, this was not Larry Hayes' airplane, that one is alive and well, and
  in GA with me.  It's just recently been sold and is under contract
  currently.
  
  Second, The one that Roger Bock and his friend were killed in was the only
  flying Carbon FG with IO-550.  I have a second one that is being built and
  I've heard of others, but none of them are currently flying that I know of.
  It was originally built and purchased by a gentleman in Spain that wanted to
  fly it in and out of a 2500' runway over there, but decided against it and
  ultimately sold it to Roger.  It was built at Lancair under the completion
  course program and first flew in Oct of 2005 while I was at build assist.
  As you might imagine I was very interested in it and it's performance.
  
  About a year ago, Roger bought it from the owner, and flew it back to
  Washington, PA.  Later it was painted, and it's Registration number was
  changed to N515RB.
  
  I have no idea how much time Roger had in it, nor did I ever see it.  I
  wanted to get up to his place and go for a ride, but never made it that far
  north.
  
  Roger was very active on the Legacy Builders Forum
  (http://www.highrf.com/forums) and had shared some performance numbers with
  us recently.  From that I am to assume that he had flown it recently.  He
  never voiced any concern publically about being "scared" of it, however, I
  knew he transitioned to it from many hours in a piper warrior.
  
  There was a claim that the airplane had come from Georgia, it did not, it
  came from Oregon, where Lancair was holding it for the buyer from Spain
  until it was sold to Roger.  I however am in Georgia and did have Larry's
  airplane (an eglass FG with TNIO-360) on the market until it sold recently.
  But the two airplanes are entirely different and never met.
  
  I know there will be lots of desire to speculate on cause, etc.  It's a very
  daunting experience going into OSH with these "fast glass" airplanes.  I
  came in for my first time last year in a Legacy and thankfully, the fisk
  arrival allowed the use of the 135kt approach altitude and I had no slow
  traffic in front of me to negotiate with.
  
  Lastly, Rogers airplane was a steam gauge airplane, it did not have a dual
  Chelton system.  It did have an AOA, and there was some discussion on the
  LBF about whether it was calibrated or not.  Roger claimed that it was from
  the Factory (AFS not Lancair), and yet he'd never heard it go off on
  Landing.  I just recently calibrated the one in Larry's airplane and set the
  flaps down slow airspeed to 75 kts (stall is 62 and 15% above that would
  pretty close to 75).  I do hear the "angle, angle, push" on landing, pretty
  much right at touchdown.
  
  Hope this helps clear up some of the mis-information around this very sad
  event.  He was a good man, and friend, and will be missed!
  
Fly on Roger!
  Alan Adamson
  Atlanta, GA
  

[ What role do experienced lancair pilots have to the rest of the community?
http://rob.com/lancair/2007.08/Roger_Bock-Ferry-4738.jpg -Rob ]