Hamid,

 

You make some excellent points regarding the instrument rating and the FAA's way of conducting checkrides. However, short of doing business like they do in other parts of the world, which is to issue a type rating for each and every type aircraft (Mooney 201, C172, LIV, etc.) we are stuck with the system we have.

 

As an instructor and examiner, I would rather stick with teaching instrument flying in general rather than teaching instrument flying in one particular aircraft. The emphasis is on teaching and learning basic skills. There are some excellent type club organizations that teach skills specific to a particular aircraft. The Bonanza Pilot Proficiency Program comes to mind. They are great for pilots transitioning to a particular make and model. We need to bring this to the front for the Lancair crowd.

 

All checkrides are stressful events for applicants. If an applicant can master flying  LIVP and want to take his checkride in it-- great. However, nothing is going to stop him from jumping in a Pilatus PC-12 tomorrow. Most of us didn't start in a Lancair and most of us won't stay in a Lancair.

 

I have talked to Peter Z. and Joe B. about training for Lancair pilots and participated in the first training session at the fly in.  Training isn't a one time, get it over with event. Whether or not a person learns in a C172 or LIVP he/ she shouldn't stop training with a qualified instructor. Training should be an ongoing event for a pilot-- something to be done monthly, quarterly and yearly. Knock off the rust, get refamiliar with something once known and now forgotten, learn something new, get a different point of view. Do it often.

 

We all can agree to disagree on what aircraft to do your initial instrument training in-- but I think we can all agree to continue to train often.

 

Jeff