Sender: <marv@lancaironline.net>
To: lml@lancaironline.net
Date: Tue, 23 Aug 2005 14:37:37 -0400
Message-ID: <redirect-679363@logan.com>
Received-SPF: none
 receiver=logan.com; client-ip=209.86.89.69; envelope-from=skipslater@earthlink.net
DomainKey-Signature: a=rsa-sha1; q=dns; c=nofws;
  s=dk20050327; d=earthlink.net;
  b=ad3hxMH6CybC5Q+vUye74eN0fnyukucIWicYcqSHrHNrjSzQJCc1uJhI/cZoJig3;
  h=Received:Message-ID:From:To:References:Subject:Date:MIME-Version:Content-Type:Content-Transfer-Encoding:X-Priority:X-MSMail-Priority:X-Mailer:X-MimeOLE:X-ELNK-Trace:X-Originating-IP;
From: "Skip Slater" <skipslater@earthlink.net>
References: <list-678869@logan.com>
Subject: Re: [LML] Re: Single Pilot IFR
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain;
	format=flowed;
	charset="iso-8859-1";
	reply-type=original
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

John,
   While I agree with your premise on good judgement, I disagree with the 
thought that training has little to do with it.  Good judgement comes from 
training and experience.  For example, you may have the good judgement to 
choose a place to put your plane down in the event of an engine failure, but 
without the training on how to pick a good spot in the event of an off-field 
landing and how to fly an optimum profile, you may not make it.  Without 
some training in meterology, you may not be able to recognize when you're 
getting yourself into a really bad situation until it's too late and you 
have to ride it out.
   You're also correct that our Lancairs are very seldom the root cause of 
all of these accidents.  But at the same time, they aren't as simple to fly 
as a 150, especially the high performance retracts.  You may have good 
judgement but poor awareness of how to best fly your plane in any of a 
number of dicey situations and that's where training is invaluable.  When 
the crap hits the fan is not the time to be learning the glide 
characteristics of your airplane and finding yourself in moderate or severe 
weather related turbulance isn't the time to try to figure out where to go 
or what kind of speed to fly.
   Common sense would have kept most of the Lancair accidents from 
happening, no doubt.  But just as professional pilots must be extensively 
trained in every plane we're rated to fly, so should experimental pilots 
flying high performance aircraft be smart enough to seek at least some basic 
training to learn the characteristics of their plane.  It can't help but 
make better pilots and as Don Barnes proved, it may even save your life.
  I've been flying for over 33 years and I learn something new every time I 
go to training.  The guys who scare me the most are the ones who think they 
don't need it because they already know everything.
   Skip Slater