I agree with Mark that the $300 transfer fee credit is a good
way to ensure that Lancair can keep and maintain accurate aircraft and customer
records. I also agree with Dennis that Lancair oversteps it’s role as
manufacturer in tying training and aircraft inspection requirements in order to
get or buy parts and support. I appreciate Lancair’s efforts in
finding and endorsing training and inspection services. I intend to avail
myself of both but on a volunteer basis.
Lancair has made it clear that their role as manufacturer is
limited to building components, not airplanes, and that builders assume complete
responsibility for the purpose we choose to their components. I’m ok with
that. Lancair assumes no responsibility for the “airplane” nor should
it create a mandatory responsibility for its inspection or training.
Stan Fields
From: Lancair Mailing
List [mailto:lml@lancaironline.net] On Behalf Of Dennis Johnson
Sent: Saturday, July 17, 2010 6:44 PM
To: lml@lancaironline.net
Subject: [LML] LII Resale Agreement
I agree with Mark that Lancair's decision to apply the $300
transfer fee to a credit for parts purchases is a good move. I thank the
new owner for that! However, in my opinion the $300 was never an
issue. The following is a quote from their resale agreement:
Further, the new purchaser of a
flying Lancair aircraft or an uncompleted kit, and prior to the
aircraft being transferred, must agree to have either flying Lancair aircraft
or upon first flight of an
uncompleted kit inspected by our insurance inspection team. The new purchaser
must also agree to
participate in any Lancair endorsed training program.
These two requirements are, it seems to me, potentially very
expensive. An inspection by Lancair's "insurance inspection
team" could be thousands of dollars. The paragraph is awkwardly
worded. It says the buyer must agree to have the inspection, but it
doesn't say the inspection has to be completed and it doesn't say the airplane
has to pass the inspection.
One of the benefits of building my own experimental airplane
is the privilege of using materials and techniques of my own choosing, with
nobody (except the FAA, sort of) looking over my shoulder. Although I'm
confident my relatively small modifications from the official plans would
be acceptable to Lancair, there's always the possibility that some future
Lancair owner (we're now on the third since I've been building) could decide
any changes from the plans, no matter how insignificant, must be "corrected"
before allowing the new purchaser to register the airplane. I'm not
comfortable giving up that much power to Lancair. It's my airplane,
not theirs.
The resale agreement also says that the purchaser "must
also agree to participate in any Lancair endorsed training program."
Holy moly, that's a requirement limited only by the imagination of
Lancair. A new owner could also decide, for some insurance purpose
perhaps, that the "Lancair endorsed training program" would
require who knows how many hours in a Lancair, completed at
Redmond.
The inspection requirement, particularly if it includes
a requirement that the inspection must be "passed," and
the unbounded training requirement, could cost a seller thousands of
dollars, and possibly tens of thousands. And I think the cost will fall
on the seller, even if the purchaser is the one who writes the check.