Ahhhhhh!

 

Two (2) new organizations, LML (Love My Lancair) and LOBO (Lancairs Only By Others) has agreed that the 200/300 series are indeed low cost fun machines, sometimes for single use only.  IFR (I Fear Rain) is more about an attitude (no pun) and flying style rather than a rating.  Cross country in a wee Lancair is like doing the same in a Corvette (fast, efficient, 2 people, can't carry too much, easy to get a ticket for misuse), although some compare the 200 series to the Smart car (two small people, one bag of groceries, no pets).  Note that none of these vehicles works very well in high ground x-winds, thunderstorms or ice (singly or in combination). 

 

Pilot qualifications:

1.  Successfully accumulated enough flight frights to respect these slick movers that resemble lawn darts when something goes wrong.

1a. Willing to spend some quality time with a Lancair qualified instructor.

2.  Understands that there are fast things and slow things but neither should be trying to do the other.

3.  Recognize that one can go down or slow down but can't do both at the same time.

4.  Firmly believes one need not obey ATC when they issue phrases like: "Keep it close in", "follow the 152 on a short base", "cleared to land following the yellow SNJ on short final",  etc.  On the other hand, it is OK to illuminate ATC with phrases like "standby", "negatory", "unable to comply", "I'm going around because he's been on short final for ever", "I'll continue ahead of the incoming Lear, I'm faster", etc. 

5.  Willing to leave baggage room for a spare tire and tube.

6.  Never uses the phrase "Watch this!"

7.  Experience counts and can only continue to count if it is not prematurely terminated.

8........... Uh, I could go on.

 

Grayhawk

 

 

Ed, I would agree wholeheartedly for any of the turbine powered machines and any Lancair IV -- they are not for joyriding.  At the other end, you wouldn't want to force a 235/320/360 pilot to an IFR rating; they might be in it for low-cost fun.  I guess Legacies and ES are somewhere in the middle.  I wonder if it makes sense to draft a LML or LOBO recommended list of pilot qualifications by airframe/engine combination.  This could be a tool for the insurance industry, whose help I would rather enlist than have the FAA intervene with regulations.  

Charley

On Jan 27, 2013, at 5:59 AM, Ed Gray wrote:

I believe we should exert MAXIMUM pressure on fellow Lancair pilots to get IFR ratings.  These birds are not suited for amateur pilots, and the stats show it.  

=