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Message
Ok, this is the last
of my philosophical presentations. But I feel strongly about the future of
the amature built, high performance airplane.
The opportunity to
build one's own airplane, to equip it according to one's desires, to complete it
to one's satifaction is absolutely the greatest reward given to a builder.
This individualism does not exist in the certified world and is what make the
amature built world unique. I certainly respect each of your own
creativity with your aircraft.
However, this
individualism is lost when we enter the world of insurance. Insurance
companies lump us all together when it comes time to price the insurance
coverages and set the premiums. We do not get the opportunity to sell
ourselves individually to the insurance company and try to convince them
why we should get insurance, or a better rate, because of who we are or because
of the unique airplane we have built. So, in this regard
we collectively have the responsiblity to do what ever we can to
improve the loss history that has been experienced over the past
years.
Joe Bartells has
been trying to do something in getting better insurance for the Lancair IV
owners. This is appreciated but nothing will have more of an impact on the
willingness of insurance companies to write our insurance than to lower the
losses. It is up to us to make this happen. What ever we can do we
should. Having been in the helicopter industry for years I know that
individually it is hard to make a difference. As a group of owners if we
make a commitment, formulate a plan, subscribe to the plan, and show a reduction
to the insurance carriers they will respond favorably. But it will take
time.
Also, we owe this
same commitment to ourselves, to our families, and to each other. We have
become friends and we should continue as friends. Taking criticism as an
opportunity to learn and improve, offering suggestions in an effort to better
the group.
Everytime I hear of
another Lancair accident I sit back and question if I really should be flying in
my own Lancair airplane. I want to! I love to! I want you to
also! Taking the "bad decision" out of the formula makes it very easy to
continue with this "love affair".
It must be very
discouraging for Lance Niebauer, the finventer and founder of Lancair Airplanes,
to see the "Lancair Certified" airplanes abandon their reference to his
great creation "Lancair" and move to "Fly Columbia". Just because the
reputation of "Lancair Airplanes" has to be avoided.
This can
change.
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