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John,
Very well put.
Another issue I see as far a training goes is that of cost. It's not unusual to spend $400k on your airplane, but then complain about spending $3000 for training. If you want to get an Eclipse type rating (which by the way is easier to fly than a LNC4), it will cost you between $15,000-$20,000 if you are already very proficient in high performance airplanes. One post recently complained that an instructor was charging $50/hr and that was outrageous so no one would use him for Bonanza training. This same person will spend more than $100/hr on a golf lesson, or $75 for half hour message, or $200/hr for a dance lesson, but then complain about how much a Lancair instructor charges. The people who are getting the proper training with proper instructors aren't the ones killing themselves (with a few exceptions), and are spending whatever it takes to get the very best instruction they can. If you think you can go to the local flight school and pay someone $25/hr and feel like you got a deal then your mind set is WAY off. Yes, this instructor may be a very good instructor, but does he really know what to tell you, what to say that teaches yourself about the way you fly, the way you approach a flight, or just knowing the plane inside and out? Let me ask this question: If you are diagnosed with cancer by your local doctor who is very good at what he does, are you going to get treatment with him? Are you going to go to the brand new HMO cancer treatment center so you can save some money, or are you going to go to the best cancer center in the world to save your life no matter what they charge? Well, I think the answer is obvious.
The best instructors do not teach you, they put you in a position where you teach yourself, and that is what will stay with you.
Ron Galbraith
In the seven years (and more than 700 hrs.) that I have been a part
of the Lancair community, I have had literally hundreds of
discussions about what is killing Lancair pilots at a totally
unacceptable rate. I have also listened to presentations such as
Jeff's at OSH. We all keep agreeing that there is a critical
problem, we generally identify correctly what it is and we all
profess a commitment to do something about it. But the accident
rate continues to be way higher than it should be. People like Joe
Bartels and Tim Ong are frustrated beyond description but at a loss
to find anything effective to do about it. I suspect I can't
either but, in an effort to do what I can, here are some thoughts
generally centered around what I think are misperceptions that
those who get into these crashes seem to have about their own
capabilities and the capabilities of the aircraft (with apologies
for the length.)
1. The Aircraft
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2. Us
O
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