There has recently been considerable discussion about the fact that both the FAA and the insurance industry may, if we don't do something about our safety record, take steps that would make flying Lancairs difficult or impossible.  I know that Joe and Tim have taken this very seriously and have worked hard to create a scenario designed to address the problem.  That effort is commendable and everyone in the Lancair community owes them a debt of gratitude.
 
What we all need to do now is try to figure out where we go from here.  We have focused on two things -- aircraft inspection and training.  The actual accident record would suggest that the latter is far more important than the former but there is no question that we need to satisfy the regulators and insureres on both scores.  Lancair has offered itself as a performer of inspections and, according to Joe's post, will have Tim Wilson do the actual inspections.  I can attest personally that Tim is more than qualified.  On the training side, Joe has proposed HPAT, a respected and highly qualified organization.
 
While my praise of the foregoing is unqualified, that does not mean that I think there is nothing left for the rest of us to do.  There may be more than a thousand flying Lancairs out there.  If I understand the new requirement, every single one of them would have to be inspected before the next annual renewal date.  With all due respect to Tim, he already has a day job and, even if he didn't there is no way that he could get all those inspections done within the next year.  There are also questions of geographical convenience.  If Tim is going to do even a small fraction of the inspections, he can't be spending all his time on airplanes going around the country.  And then there is the question of cost, not an irrelevant issue in today's economy.  There are many people around the country who are or could easily become qualified to perform these inspections and a credible program will demand that we find a way to use them.
 
The same goes for training.  HPAT is a wonderful organization but there are all kinds of reasons why neither they nor any other single organization should have a monopoly on training.  Again, a program that is credible and that has a chance of actually workng to lower accident rates is going to need more diversity (of ideas, geography, ease of access etc.) than any one organization can provide, especially on the short timeline that we apparently have.
 
In the short term, the Lancair community needs to propose a credible program to the regulators and insurers.  A program that provides a single inspector and a handful of instructors is a great start but more is needed.  LOBO is working hard on a program to address these needs and encourages others to contribute as well.  We should all be working together to solve this serious problem.  Everyone's effort is a plus, which is why I am disturbed when I hear views that suggest that anyone who wants to work outside the Lancair system is an advocate of sedition.
 
In the long term, the program is going to have to work to reduce accidents.  Whatever program or programs are established, that is going to be a tall order.  All the available evidence indicates that the problem is not in the airplanes but in the judgments that we make flying them.  As far as I am concerned, if anyone thinks he has an idea how to improve the collective judgment of our community, he should be encouraged to try.  We need all the help we can get!