Mailing List lml@lancaironline.net Message #47513
From: Steve Reeves <sreeves@sc.rr.com>
Sender: <marv@lancaironline.net>
Subject: Re: [LML] Re: Legacy crash kills two
Date: Sun, 01 Jun 2008 22:51:56 -0400
To: <lml@lancaironline.net>
At 08:36 PM 6/1/2008, you wrote:
Every time a Lancair crashes, I do a search on the on the LML for the Pilot, and most all the time I see no posts from them, and on many occasions when I look up the N number I see the plane was for sale at some point. That is very interesting! Maybe a lot of these crashes are a result of people who did not build their plane and as a result are not concerned with all the intricacies that go into building, maintaining and flying such a plane?


I have been flying experimentals that I didn't build for about 10 years now.  My latest is a Glasair that I've been flying for 7 years.  I'd like to think that I am fairly mechanically competent, but I *do not* have the patience to build one of these things.  You guys get the benefit of building *exactly* what you want, and I envy you for that.  It's fairly easy to get something and make it into what you want (which is what I do).

But I digress, it sounds like this accident is a "dead man's turn", *if* witness accounts are correct.  I guess we can wait till the report comes out for the quarterbacking.  But, that said, if there's one thing that scares the hell out of me in an aircraft is that "steep turn" *while* racking back hard on the stick.  I think most of us know that's a big no-no.  I've been pushed too far past the approach end a few times, and I just go around.  I hadn't had to do it in years until a flight into Ocean Springs MS this past December.  Tiny airport with obstacles at both ends.  I wasn't paying as much attention as I should have been and got pushed over a bit, and elected to go around.  I don't force landings.  I like to fly anyway, and how bad can a few more minutes in the air be?  After some jovial ribbing back and forth and a tongue-in-cheek response from the guy on the ground over the radio, it's all good.  I have an ego like we all do, but I won't let pride kill me (I hope).

I digressed again!  Anyway, sounds like steep turning while racking it in an unfamiliar airplane.  Bad in any airplane, or so I've been taught.  I'm sure Jeff can probably comment on that better than I can.

Steve Reeves
Glasair 38SR
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