I think this discussion has run its course, but I have a couple more thoughts, then I'm done, promise!

 

I think we all agree that GA pilots can do dumb things that can hurt or kill them.  But why is it that Lancair pilots seem to do dumb things more often?

 

Here's my feeble attempt at an answer to a very big question.

 

We don't benefit (except Bryan and a few others) from the critical eyes of an A&P.  A&Ps don't care if you want to make it to the big fly-in, or that you have a meeting to fly to tomorrow.  They won't let that plane back up in the air until they're satisfied it's airworthy.

 

Lesson #1  If you are the mechanic, act 100% like a mechanic, and 0% like the pilot when you do your inspections. Better yet, get a second set of critical eyes to take a look.

 

We tend to underinsure our aircraft.  We also have invested a huge amount of time and energy in constructing our planes.  We are extremely attached to our "babies".

 

Lesson #2  Insure your plane for enough that you'd accept a cashiers check for your plane.  If it all goes to hell, save your butt and let the insurance company buy your airplane.

 

We are all bright people, successful people, BUT we can still make fatal mistakes. We have strong opinions.  we are persuasive, forceful, determined people.

 

Lesson #3  Use your intellect to recognize the reality of the situation.  Use your intellect to analyze what's the WORST thing that could happen if I continue down this course.  Don't use your intellect to convince yourself that this not a real problem, that you can make it.  Guess what, you might not.  How many people have talked themselves into killing themselves?

 

Ask yourself the question, "Should I do this?  Should I go?  Should I fix this?"  And answer it honestly, nobody's there to ask and answer but YOU! 

 

We all brag about our 200+ knot, go anywhere, go anytime, traveling machines.  But the fact is we own a fairly unreliable form of transportation.  It's not a Gulfstream.  When the weather is good, and the plane is working properly, we go.  When we have a list of squawks, marginal weather, several years since our last recurrent training, getting over a cold, sometimes we go.  And the fact is most of the time we reach our destination safely, most of the time.

 

Lesson #4  Admit your bird can't go all the time.  Admit you have a mechanical problem.  Admit you are not up to the weather.  Admit you aren't going to accept the additional risk that is associated with your flight.  Admit defeat!

 

I flew my ES to SNF last year without fuel gages, JPI software problem.  Too much risk?  Maybe.  I flew two hour legs, with fuel flow numbers and about 20+ gallons a side left in the tanks when I refueled.  I did recognize the problem, and took a course of action to minimize the risk.  I added two additional stops for fuel.

 

On the way home from SNF, the weather was stretched from Texas to the Great Lakes.  I had just come out of flight testing and decided that I would only fly when I could see the ground below me, no VFR over an overcast layer.  I could have flown over a solid overcast over southern Texas and got home, but I parked the bird in Atlanta and took a seat in the back of an airliner.  I had to get home, but not in my airplane that day with that weather.  I think we lost a Legacy pilot the day I flew up to Atlanta instead of going home.

 

I flew back to get my plane a few days later, beautiful day, not a cloud between Atlanta and Colorado.  All is well, happy camper at 12,500.  My JPI EDM 900 goes black.  So now I don't have MP, RPM, temps, pressures, nothing.  "But the engine is healthy", I say to myself.  "It's only another 4 hours and the weather's perfect, you could make it", I say. (justify, justify, justify)  "If I divert, I could be looking at another round-trip airline ticket."  (justify, justify, justify)

 

I call ATC and divert to Huntsville, pull the JPI, ship it back to the factory, buy another round-trip ticket.  I return a week later and finally get my bird back home.  Between hotels, airline tickets, shipping, etc. that cost me about $1,000.  But the JPI was still under warranty!  :-)

 

Was I too conservative?  I had a 35 hour airplane with no gages.  I think if I had a 535 hour airplane, I still would have diverted and got it fixed.  I remember asking myself over Huntsville, "Would you do this with 200 paying passengers in the back?"  The answer was no.

 

Mike