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Date: Fri, 25 Aug 2000 11:28:38 -0500
From: Brent Regan <brent@regandesigns.com>
To: Lancair List <lancair.list@olsusa.com>
Subject: RE: IV-P training
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Craig Gainza asks:

<<how did you approach the flight training for the IV-P?  Obviously, the
quality of training was and is
critical...>>

Quality of training is critical, but it is critical for flying in general,
not just Lancairs. IMHO the most critical part of flight training is
training your brain not to write checks it can't cash. Flying is a highly
cerebral activity and the greatest danger is not being able to recognize a
dangerous or potentially dangerous situation.

I believe the next most important aspect is currency. Flight skills have a
half life, they decay over time. If I don't fly my plane at least 10 hours a
month I really have to work to stay ahead of the plane. It distresses me
that the average pilot flies only 50 hours a year. That means that about
half the pilots out there fly less than 50 hours a year, scary.

I started training in a 172, moved to a 172 RG and then a Debonair (B33) as
soon as I had enough hours. I had less than 200 hours TT when I first flew
my IV. I soloed my IV after about 9 hours of dual. After about 100 hours in
the IV I felt comfortable enough to start instrument training. I would
strongly advise instrument training even you only plan to fly VFR.
Unintentional flight by a VFR pilot into IMC is one of the three big killers
of pilots. Stall spin and running out of fuel are the other two.

The most apprehensive flight of my life came at about 150 hours in the IV. I
had to rent a 172 to train for an NDB approach (required for the instrument
check ride). I distinctly remember sitting in the 172 at the end of the
runway, putting in the throttle and wondering why we weren't moving. Many
many long seconds later we were airborne, at a speed that was way too slow.
I was sure we were going to stall out of the sky. The controls felt like
there were attached with rubber bands and I kept the throttle firewalled to
keep us from flying backwards. The flight ended with the worst landing of my
life as the damn airplane wouldn't quit flying until we were stopped.

This goes to show that you can be a "good" pilot in a fast airplane and a
"bad" pilot in a slow one.

There is no reason to believe that learning to fly a Lancair is any more
difficult than learning to fly anything else. It requires different skills
that you may not already posses, but those skills are achievable through
training as long as you are willing and open to learning. It is not harder
to learn, but it is different and it is a LOT of fun.

Having about 650 hours in IVs and less than 1000 TT I an definitely NOT
qualified to comment on the flight characteristics of the IV as compared to
other aircraft. All I can say is that the IV is a blast to fly and I have
enjoyed every minute. Frankly, that is all I need to know.

Regards
Brent Regan

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