Whatever spin was put on the A320 accident in France ( don’t believe it was at the Paris airshow itself), it was most likely a combination of technology and the pilots not understanding what they were doing with it.

The number of times I have seen pilots ask, and wondered myself, “what the hell is it doing THAT for”, is innumerable when it came to the early introduction of the A320.

It was built by computer whizzes, and chucked at pilots saying – “go fly – you can’t crash it”.

But at the end of the day, it is just like any other aeroplane – short of structural failure, you still have to fly the thing, and know your limitations.

That applies to the Lancair especially.

But as long as you recognise those limits, it is such pleasure.

Dominic V. Crain