FromthePresident - Lancair Owners and Builders Organization

news
Jan 2011
Volume 3, Issue 1
From the President
jeff edwards
in this issue
1
3
6
8
14
15
16
17
from the president
maintenance issues
ramp check
advocacy
social occasions
Happy
belated
New Year! LOBO is
still going strong
into our third year
of operation—who
would’ve thought
it possible? LOBO
continues to support its members through education,
training and fellowship. We have some
great social events planned for this
year, including dinner events at both
Sun ‘N Fun and AirVenture. Perhaps
most exciting of all is our first
combined Lancair/ LOBO Fly-In
planned for October in Branson,
Missouri! Be sure to read this entire
issue for more information from
Claudette, Mark, Bill and Bob on these
and other events.
Your Eyes, Ears and Voice
upcoming events
builder’s corner
LOBO talk
editor: mark sletten
vice president, communications
LOBO
18437 edison ave
chesterfield, MO 63005
www.lancairowners.com
A major part of LOBO’s charter is to
represent
your
interests
with
government agencies in developing or
modifying regulation that affects
Lancair owners. 2010 was a
blockbuster year for LOBO in that area
as we participated in several
government/industry
conferences,
some at the direct request of
organizers—we
are
getting
a
reputation!
I, along with Bob Pastusek and Bill
Harrelson, participated in drafting a
soon-to-be-released
ExperimentalAmateur Built (EXP-AB) Advisory
Circular (AC) over several months and
many meetings. Beginning with a
conference in Washington, DC last
winter, and subsequent meetings in
Oshkosh, WI, in June and Kansas City,
MO in the fall, the effort to produce
this AC included representatives from
the FAA, EAA, major kit aircraft
manufacturers (and other industry
suppliers) as well as LOBO, who
attended at the direct request of the
FAA.
In addition to assisting the FAA in the
area of accident prevention, LOBO is
looking at ways the FAA can remove
obstacles to improving training quality
and availability. Our newest board
member, Bill Harrelson, attended a
flight instructor conference at FAA HQ
last month. During the meeting, the
FAA
announced
new
training
initiatives, and sought input from
attendees in their development. LOBO
intends to continue representing your
interests in the follow-on meetings
scheduled through 2011. Be sure to
read Bill’s report on what transpired at
the first meeting.
Finally, Bob, Claudette and I attended
the EAA/FAA Joint Safety committee
meeting at Oshkosh AirVenture in July
where I presented information on
LOBO’s efforts in flight training and
accident reduction.
The FAA is earnestly trying to reduce
the General Aviation accident rate, and
foremost on its agenda is the EXP–AB
safety record. In a recent FAA White
Paper on the subject stated, in part,
“The experimental airplane community
is an important part of the civil aviation
industry in the United States. Amateur
aircraft builders have produced some
of aviation’s greatest technological
achievements. The amateur builder
community is foundational to general
aviation in the US. However, recent
trends in experimental airplane
accidents have suggested a need for
Jan 2011
increased effort in ensuring that pilots
of experimental airplanes are prepared
for the challenges of these airplanes.”
Further, “…the FAA does have the
authority, through rulemaking, to place
additional conditions and limitations
on pilots of amateur built airplanes
forcing them into training programs.
But this should be a last resort. Placing
arbitrary training requirements may
require some pilots to receive
unnecessary training and other pilots
to
receive
inadequate
training
depending on the pilot’s experience
level. Training needs to be tailored to
the pilot and the airplane in question.
The only way to do this is to have the
FAA and industry work together to
develop the specific standards for both
the pilot receiving the training and the
instructor providing the training. This
can be done targeting manufacturers,
training providers, and industry groups
(associations, type clubs, etc.) to
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develop and promote appropriate
training.”
of significantly reducing the EXP-AB
accident rate.
Shortly after writing this I will be
attending an FAA/ Industry meeting on
This is an effort your LOBO leadership
saw coming. We’ve been working
Experimental Amateur Built safety
during the Light-Sport Expo at Sebring,
FL. In yet another indication of the new
direction it is taking, Lancair Inc.
requested I represent not only LOBO,
but the interests of Lancair fliers in
general.
ahead of the curve in developing
specific training and instructor
qualification standards we believe
appropriate and necessary for the safe
operation of Lancair aircraft. Our
efforts in this area have not gone
unnoticed.
The FAA has listed several goals for this
meeting, including:
The Lancair community has seen a
reduction in its serious/fatal accident
numbers for two years now. In 2008,
Lancair fliers had 7 serious accidents
with 19 fatalities. In 2009 we saw a
reduction to four accidents with seven
fatalities. The numbers dropped even
farther in 2010, with only four serious
accidents and two fatalities—our
lowest numbers since 2000.
1.
2.
3.
Analyzing EXP-AB accident data to
determine accident risk factors.
Developing a pilot flight and
ground training program to
address those risk factors.
Training flight instructors in proper
training methods to address the
risk factors.
The FAA is targeting five EXP-AB
types, including Lancair, with the goal
2
Since the inception of LOBO, there has
been only one serious accident
involving
a
LOBO
member.
Jan 2011
Statistically, there is a strong
correlation
between
type
club
membership and low accident rates.
Our message to the FAA and industry is
type clubs work; you are all proof of
that! LOBO’s forward-thinking effort in
focusing our community on safety is
one of the primary reasons we are a
sought-after attendee at meetings
seeking new ideas to make our planes
and operations safer. While that’s a
gratifying development, it pales in
comparison to knowing we are saving
lives.
Let’s Keep It Going!
As many of you know, the most
hazardous time for a new aircraft
owner is the first 100 hours of
operation. LOBO recommends pilots
get type-specific training from an
experienced Lancair instructor to get
through that critical transition period
safely. (You can find the names of halfa-dozen recommended instructors on
our website.)
Once you complete your Lancair
training you should approach your first
100 hours of operation with the utmost
caution. During that time, and
depending on your personal flying
history, LOBO advocates pilots observe
personal limits above and beyond
those required by the FAA. For many,
this will mean limiting your flying to
day VFR conditions. Major airlines call
this Initial Operating Experience (IOE),
and they place limits on crews in this
phase of experience. You may have
thousands of hours in your logbook,
but until you acquire experience in that
new-to-you Lancair you are at a
substantially higher risk of having an
accident. The chart below illustrates
this concept and is taken from actual
Lancair accident statistics.
LOBO’s FITS-approved initial transition
syllabus is designed to get a new
Lancair pilot through that 0-10 hour
high-risk hurdle. Combined with a
ground school syllabus, pilots who
complete LOBO-designed training will
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improve their stick and rudder skills
while flying real-world scenarios
designed to facilitate the application of
procedural, situational-awareness, decision-making and systems management skills appropriate to the
aircraft, pilot and specific flight
operation.
Even if you have already completed
transition training elsewhere, you
should consider a recurrent session
with a LOBO-qualified instructor.
For a taste of training excellence, join
us in Branson in October, where LOBO
instructors will present ground training
seminars based on our FITS-approved
syllabus!
The Phase I Catch 22
A factor working against the
Experimental community is you cannot
legally receive flight training during
Phase I flight testing of a newlycompleted experimental aircraft per
the operational limitations section of
your airworthiness certificate. Another
Catch 22 is that the FAA process for
obtaining a Letter of Deviation (LODA)
to hire out your Lancair for training has
been held up in the FAA bureaucracy.
The FAA just released new guidance
for LODA’s in September, so we may
have some relief there. At least one
LOBO member, Michael Newman, has
succeeded in obtaining a LODA from
the Boston FDSO.
If you have a Lancair that you are
willing to offer for training purposes
please let us know. We need the
assistance of all Lancair fliers to help
train people that are just completing
their kits. We especially need access to
320 and 360 airframes for training.
Make a Commitment
In keeping with the New Year theme, I
would encourage all of you to make
some resolutions with regards to
making your Lancair flying safer. Here
are a few suggestions:
3
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Obtain, read and make a personal
commitment to abide by LOBO’s
Code of Conduct.
Book a recurrent training session
with a LOBO instructor.
Attend a LOBO sponsored maintenance clinic.
Join LOBO in Branson in October
(for some more great training tips).
Attend the LOBO dinner at AirVenture.
Attend a LOBO flight or maintenance seminar.
Share your experience with your
fellow members; tell us your safety
story and we’ll publish it in the
LOBO News. “Never again” stories
are great, but we’d also like to hear
about decisions you made that
turned out well.
I am sure there are many more things
you can do to become a better pilot—
let us know what your resolutions are.
Safe Flying!
For questions or comments contact Jeff
at j.edwards@lancairowners.com
Maintenance Issues
bob pastusek
About Our
Clinics – So Far!
LOBO has sponsored a total of
five maintenance
clinics for Lancair
aircraft, and plans to conduct at least
four during 2011 (see the current
schedule below).
We've had 20-30 active participants at
each previous clinic, along with a few
spouses, friends and interested others.
A slight majority of attendees fly in, but
a significant number drive to each of
our seminars. We don’t have a rigid
agenda or format for these events, but
based on informal feedback, a couple
of themes seemed to resonate with our
Jan 2011
owner/flyers and we hope to build upon
them.
First of all, attendees considered the
opportunity to meet fellow Lancair
owners/operators to be their most
valuable take-away. (I try not to reflect
too much on what this implies about
the technical content of our clinics
while realizing that’s the answer I
selected for myself.) Given this, we’ll
continue to plan time at our clinics for
informal discussion
and walkabouts to
admire the workmanship
of
our
beautiful aircraft.
Attendees also liked
the mini presentations (typically a
demonstration
of
specific tasks) of
recognized experts.
These events ranged
from set up of the
fuel system for the
big Continentals to changing a
tire/tube without pinching the tube
during reassembly. Items somewhat
unique to our aircraft, such as nose
strut servicing, were well attended at
each seminar. We’ll continue to
emphasize and add these things as we
have the expertise to do so. (This is
both thanks, and a hint—we could use
more experts!)
With one exception, these first
seminars were “home grown” events
put on entirely by volunteers. Even so,
some of the attendees at each were
recognized experts in various aspects
of aviation who unselfishly offered
their
knowledge
through
presentations, one-on-one discussion
and active demonstrations. Some have
suggested that we formally engage the
recognized
experts—those
with
experience building/flying multiple
Lancairs of all series—in our clinics. We
intend to try this during the coming
year by providing a mix of builderhosted and expert-hosted seminars,
but only if we can solicit hosts that are
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willing to host a seminar at cost. LOBO
does not intend to provide services for
hire, nor will we sanction maintenance
clinics as a for-profit engagements. We
are trying to establish LOBO within the
aviation community as an owner-level,
grass roots support organization, and
to provide information, services and
support at no more than the direct cost
of materials, using volunteer labor
whenever possible.
Most of our
clinics are twoday events, the
exception being
the one-day Legacy clinic sponsored by Don
Barnes. The consensus from attendees is to plan
a 2-day event
including general
information applicable to all
Lancairs on day
one, and “breakout” sessions for the
separate models on day two.
We likewise had many opinions about
covering general information (e.g. how
to change tires/brakes), versus Lancairspecific information not easily available
elsewhere (e.g. nose strut servicing).
Based on the ability of every owner to
work on his/her aircraft, we intend to
have the clinics cover as much of both
as possible. Our experience was that all
were interested in general/common
maintenance items; only a few were
interested in gear retraction testing
and similar model-specific items.
All clinics to date have included a
“chalk talk” session moderated by
recognized expertes about standard
maintenance practices (and the
applicable FARs that cover them) for
Lancair aircraft. In each case we’ve had
volunteers to do this for us, and these
have been great for team-building and
bonding. Holding these at the start of
each clinic/day allowed attendees to
get acquainted, accommodated late
4
arrivals and tended to focus attention
on the task at hand.
Some of the popular items we’ve
included in one or more of the clinics
include:
















Brake/Bearing servicing
Magneto Timing
Spark Plug Cleaning
Injector Cleaning
Fuel System Calibration
Tire/Wheel Changing
Gear Retraction Test
Structural Inspection
Electrical System Tests
Engine Inspection
Cockpit Instruments
Weight & Balance
Flight Control Continuity
Door/Canopy Ops
Nose Strut Servicing
Lubrication-general
Please give us your input on additional
topics and we’ll add them as we have
the expertise and time to do so.
We also coordinated with local licensed
A&P’s to offer the following services at
negotiated prices and by prior
arrangement:




Pitot/Static Testing
Prop Balancing
Magneto Timing
Fuel Flow Calibration
For 2011 we have scheduled four
clinics—so far. We'll have details and
sign-up lists on the LOBO web site in
the coming months, but to get you
started, Brad Simmons (Airframes Inc)
will host an airframe finishing and
painting seminar on March 19-20 at his
Trenton Airport (KTGC) workshop.
Brad has assisted a number of builders
over the years, and is one of the true
experts in this business.
George Braly and Tim Roehl have
agreed
to
host
an
engine
performance/baffling/cooling seminar
similar to the one George conducted
for Lancair builders in 2006. George
has been up to his eyeballs in
Jan 2011
news
developing G100UL fuel for our
engines, and is pretty hard to pin down.
And as if that weren’t enough, we've
also put the strong arm on him to make
a presentation at the LOBO/Lancair
Fly-In this fall!
For comments or questions contact Bob
at r.pastusek@laincairowners.com
UUppccoom
miinnggCClliinniiccss**
Trenton Airport (KTGC)
Milam, TN
When:
 19-20 March
What
 Composite airframe construction
 Paint preparation
Who:
PRATT & WHITNEY IS A PROUD SPONSOR FOR THE 1ST
ANNUAL LOBO/LANCAIR FLY-IN
 Brad Simmons
 731-686-3610
 btsim1@earthlink.net
Manassas Muni (KHEF)
Manassas, VA
When:
 11-12 June
What
 Inspection/maintenance all models
Who:
 Bob Pastusek
 757-286-4802
 rpastusek@htii.com
 (Penny Bowman)
 617-510-527
 bruceryan@msn.com
What
Taney County Apt (KPLK)
Branson, MO
Who:
When:
 7-9 October
What
When:
 25-26 June
What
 Inspection/maintenance
 Flying in the northeast US
 George Braly
 580-436-4833
 gwbraly@gami.com
* You can find the most up-to-date list on the
 Mini-Seminar at the Fly-In
 Nose gear strut servicing
LOBO web site. Check back often as seminars
might be added anytime!
Details
Who:
Lawrence Municipal (KLWM)
Lawrence, MA
 Engine baffling and cooling
 GAMI Injectors
 Bob Pastusek
 757-286-4802
 rpastusek@htii.com
Ada Municipal (KADH )
Ada, OK
When:
 14 May
Who:
 Bruce Ryan & EAA Chapter 106
5
It is important that you register your
intention to attend a clinic with LOBO
at www.lancairowners.com so we can
prepare facilities, handouts and
amenities. There will be a nominal
attendance charge for each participant
($25-50 depending on our material
costs), and we reserve the right to
cancel any clinic if the pre-registered
attendance does not justify the
expense and time to prepare and
execute it.
Jan 2011
Likewise, we need your early
commitments—and money—to plan
and execute these, so we'll accept your
cancellation up to the day before and
provide a full refund of your prepayment.
We still need volunteers to host clinics
in other parts of the country. Please
lend a hand if you can; it's a rewarding
and worthwhile experience, and you
might even learn something…
For more information or to volunteer to
host a clinic contact Bob directly at
rpastusek@htii.com.
SSyysstteem
mssM
Maaiinneennaannccee
Chelton Electronic Flight
Information System (EFIS)
In a fit of frustration with my otherwise
excellent Chelton EFIS, I wrote to Brent
Regan for help in keeping the
electronic Jeppesen navigation data in
my Cheltons up to date. No sooner had
I posted my plea to Brent, than I
received emails from two other LOBO
members who were having the same
news
difficulty.
Our Cheltons use Smart Media (SM)
cards to transfer data from a computer
to the unit. Jeppesen updates its data
on a 28 day cycle, which Chelton users
must copy to the SM card for transfer
to the Cheltons. The cards are easily
damaged (probably why this media
never caught on?) and getting more
and more difficult to replace.
Originally, data cards from 8 to 64 MB
capacity would work, but as the
navigation database has expanded,
only the larger 32 and 64 MB cards
seem to work reliably. Larger capacity
cards are reported not to work at all.
For starters, I'd be interested in
knowing the number of LOBO member
airplanes with a Chelton EFIS installed.
Please don't be surprised to see this
question
on
the
membership
information update soon to be on its
way to you. I hope to develop at least
one alternative way to update the
navigation and approach data for our
Cheltons, and will advise directly to
responding members about what I find.
6
Ramp Check!
…
…bbyytthheeBBoorrddeerrPPaattrrooll??
jeff edwards
When you think about John and
Martha King, the last word to come to
mind is “criminal.” Yet that is exactly
how these two stalwarts of General
Aviation were treated by law
enforcement officials during the now
infamous incident at Santa Barbara last
August. Do you think this was an
isolated incident?
Think again.
The Customs and Border Patrol Agency
has deemed you to be a national
security threat and is watching you
every time you fly, simply because you
are a pilot. The CBP has established an
“Air and Marine Operations Center”
(AMOC), a facility much like similar
facilities operated by the US military,
at the March Air Reserve Base in
Riverside, CA and is spying on our
citizens lawfully going about their
business. The CBP’s AMOC is linked
Jan 2011
with governmental law enforcement
and anti-terrorism databases and
determine if you are a threat before
you even get near your aircraft.
Aside from this (and several other
facilities), the CBP’s office of Air and
Marine operates some 290 aircraft
(including UAVs) and some 220 marine
vessels. The government established
the AMOC to monitor the borders and
assist law enforcement with anti-terror
and anti-narcotics operations, and CBP
officials use those assets to track every
aircraft and marine vessel movement in
the United States, including yours.
In fact, two LOBO members report
having been detained and questioned
by law enforcement officials, and
neither was informed of the reason. In
both cases, their aircraft were
searched. One case occurred in 2008
after the pilot flew a VFR cross-country
flight to St. Louis. The photos below
depict what happened. (A person I
spoke
to
involved
with
law
enforcement informed me the King Air
in the background of the picture to the
right belongs to the FBI.)
When the pilot involved demanded a
reason for the detention, interrogation and search, he was given a
phone number, which turned out to be
news
“Mike” with the CBP’s
AMOC in Riverside,
CA.
Being unable to find
any contraband or
other evidence of
illegal activity, government representatives allowed the pilot,
who is a decorated
veteran US Navy F-14
pilot, to leave. This is
not the only such
incident in St. Louis.
Another case involved a LOBO
member who filed a flight plan to
depart the DC metro area for upstate
NY. Prior to his departure the pilot was
approached by a person who identified
himself as a Customs agent. The pilot
reports being asked if he had any
“equipment” on his aircraft, in
particular computers. Apparently not
satisfied when the detainee responded
the only computer he had was his
personal laptop, the agent asked to
search the aircraft.
When the search confirmed his story,
the pilot—a retired and decorated US
Air Force veteran—was allowed to go.
You have to wonder about the
“intelligence” of our intelligence
agencies involved in these searches.
The two pilots are ex-military; the
federal
government
maintains
databases
containing
prodigious
amounts of information on former
military personnel—including DNA,
fingerprints,
security
clearances, etc. Additionally, certified pilots
voluntarily provide the
FAA
even
more
information about ourselves via flight physical
exams, pilot certificate
information, aircraft registration, and more.
Through “Fusion Center” information databases,
the
federal
7
government has access to a massive
amount of personal information such
as credit card and cell phone records.
And further erosions of our privacy are
on the horizon with the coming ADS-B,
triennial pilot and aircraft registration
forms and eAPIS registration. Think
about how much information the
government gets about you when you
simply file a DUATS flight plan.
Given the amount of information
available to it, either the CBP AMOC is
completely out of control, or completely incompetent in targeting pilots
such as the two LOBO members
involved in these incidents. While I
appreciate our government’s efforts to
fight terrorism, I don’t believe GA
pilots—especially those who appear so
prominently in government databases—pose a serious threat to
national security. A friend of mine who
works in government says the situation
would improve if all pilots would simply
fill out a special security clearance form
and submit to a government
Jan 2011
background check. I’m afraid I
disagree. If the data already available
wasn’t sufficient to alert the
government these two pilots posed the
lowest possible threat, what would it
do with even more information?
If you don’t think this is a civil rights
issue you should read the job
descriptions for the people responsible
for administering these programs. I
read the following sentence in a job
listing for a director position within the
AMOC:
As Director, Air and Marine Operations
Center (AMOC), you will direct and
oversee the collection of information on
non-cooperative aircraft and marine
vessels across the Nation’s borders and
its maritime approaches, and coordinate
threat interdiction operations across all
CBP air and marine operating units.
Based on incidents happening across
the US, it would seem the CBP now
believes all GA pilots to be “noncooperative targets,” and views them
to be potential threats to national
security. In short, the Federal
government is tracking, intercepting
and conducting warrantless searches of
aircraft without probable cause.
So what can you do about this
nonsense if you’re inclined to take a
stand? Well, you can start by knowing
your rights.
What If You Are Detained?
The government may lawfully detain
you in the course of conducting an
investigation if you are believed to be
involved in illegal activity, or if you are
believed to have evidence or
information about the illegal activity of
others. Officials may detain you for as
long as they deem necessary to
complete their investigation. Detention is assumed to be voluntary unless
you ask to leave the area. If you ask to
leave and the official says you may go,
then you should leave immediately. If
you remain in the area after being told
news
you are free to go, the detention is
automatically legal.
While it’s true that not all detentions
are legal, knowing that doesn’t make it
wise to dispute a
detention you believe
to be illegal during
the event. If you wish
to
challenge
a
detention after the
fact, it will be up to
you to prove you were
detained
illegally.
Needless to say, your
case won’t be well
served if you are arrested for
interfering
with
an
official
investigation.
While government officials do not have
to immediately tell you why, they are
required to inform you if you are being
detained or arrested—ask if they don’t
tell you.
Can They Search My Plane?
According to the protection you enjoy
under the Fourth Amendment to the
US Constitution, you do not have to
submit to a search of your aircraft. The
government official involved may say
something like, “Do you mind if I look
in your plane?” You are perfectly within
your rights to refuse such a request.
Common
tactics
include
such
statements as “things might go easier
for you if you cooperate,” or “you
shouldn’t care about a search if you
have nothing to hide.” These vaguely
threatening ideas count on the fact
that most people don’t want to
antagonize the government or appear
guilty. The goal, of course, is to get you
to agree to a search—which eliminates
the need for officials to obtain a
warrant.
If you choose not to allow a search of
your aircraft during a detention you
should understand investigators can
detain you until they obtain a warrant if
they feel they have a good reason. If
you have someplace to be it might
8
easier to swallow your sense of justice
and let them have a look. What you
should also understand, however, is
your refusal to permit a search is not a
good
enough
reason for an
investigator to
obtain a warrant. That’s what
they might like
you to think, but
it’s just not so.
Who Ya Gonna
Call?
If you’re unhappy with the idea that
you or your fellow aviators can be
detained, questioned and searched for
nothing more than exercising your
right to travel freely, you should let
your legislative representatives know
how you feel. Click here to contact your
Congressional representative. Click
here to contact your Senators.
LOBO Advocacy
bill harrelson
I attended a meeting in Washington,
DC with the FAA
this past December
at Jeff’s request.
The meeting was
primarily for FIRC
(Flight Instructor Refresher Clinic)
providers and was attended by an
impressive group of industry leaders.
John and Martha King, Dr. Bryan
Gliem, top folks from AOPA, Jeppesen
and others were in attendance. Since
LOBO does not offer or intend to offer
an FIRC, I initially thought my presence
unnecessary, but I quickly realized that
was wrong as the true reason for the
meeting became evident.
The FAA people who presented were
“10th floor folks,” meaning they were
all high up the food chain—up to
Assistant Administrator level. The
Jan 2011
presentations all included detailed
Q&A sessions with attendees.
From these it became clear the FAA in
general—and these top executives in
particular—are under intense and
direct pressure from Congress and the
DOT to improve the GA fatal accident
rate. Reading between the lines, it
appeared to me top FAA leadership
believes the best place to start in
meeting such an ambitious goal is to
speak directly to those teaching pilots
how be flight instructors, the instructor
instructors if you will.
The resulting two days of FAA
presentations, and the intelligent, well
thought out and candid discussion with
industry leaders they instigated, were
highly educational and interesting. No
matter how the plethora of statistics,
charts and graphs were presented or
interpreted, they served to hammer
home the fact that GA safety—
especially the fatal accident rate—is
not improving. This fact served as the
guidepost for the discussions, all of
which held at their core the search for
ideas to improve GA safety.
I had a chance to speak with Mel
Cintron on Tuesday morning. Mr.
Cintron leads the FAA’s ASF-800
division, which governs ALL aspects of
GA at FAA. He remembered meeting
with LOBO at Sun ‘n Fun and was, I
think, pleased we attended this
meeting as well. The theme of Mr.
Cintron’s presentation—which sparked
some 2 ½ hours of discussion—is that
FAA views GA as one of its last
unresolved safety challenges. To meet
that challenge, he listed the long-term
goals of ASF-800, which include:
1.
2.
3.
Transform GA and reduce the fatal
accident rate to unprecedented
low levels.
Transform mindset and culture.
Reduce accident rate to 1.0 per
100,000 hrs by 2018 (the 2010 rate
was 1.14, or 268 accidents).
news
with the GA community within legal
boundaries and without rulemaking.
Obviously, this is an attitude LOBO
fervently supports and hopes to foster
with continued representation at
future meetings!
Meaningful Action
Mr. Cintron’s stated approach to
meeting AFS-800 goals included the
following:




Risk identification and mitigation
Outreach and engagement
Training
Safety communication
Mr. Cintron’s presentation included a
chart listing what he views as the top
10 factors in fatal GA accidents.
Holding the #1 spot was amateur built
aircraft. He also presented numbers
suggesting amateur-built aircraft,
which represent 3% of total hours
flown, account for a disproportionate
26% of fatal accidents. These are data
with which many in the experimental
community may not agree, but we
absolutely cannot ignore the fact this is
what the FAA’s GA division leadership
believes.
Mr. Cintron also presented some good
news for LOBO members, chiefly that
statistics show type clubs have a
significant positive impact on safety.
Indeed, his numbers suggest members
of such clubs experience 50-60% fewer
accidents compared to non-members.
He says the FAA currently believes it
can best meet these goals by working
This brought up an interesting
question: Someone from the audience
asked “what’s a type club?” I was very
glad to be there when Mr. Cintron
pointed at me and said, “You know,
like LOBO, Lancair Owners and
Builders Organization”. It’s good to
know after two years of work such an
influential person is aware of our
existence. What’s more, it’s gratifying
that we have a two-year head start on
meeting the goals Mr. Cintron outlined
for the rest of GA!
To demonstrate his commitment to
the long-term improvement of GA
safety, Mr. Cintron made it clear he
understands there are statistical
“tricks” and short term “fixes” that
could skew safety statistics to give the
appearance of improvement. He
acknowledged such tactics would serve
to improve his chances for a
promotion, but would have little real
meaning. To ensure he and his staff
remain committed to real and
meaningful long term progress he is
including a two-year process review
which will look at the following:
 Review the effectiveness of nonregulatory mitigations
 Share
results
with
key
stakeholders
 Adjust strategy as necessary
 Continue with a “rolling” review
process
Conclusions
1.
2.
3.
9
FAA management is under intense
pressure to reduce the GA fatal
accident rate (likely pushed, in
part, by the recent death of
Senator Stevens in a GA accident
in Alaska).
Like it or not, the head of GA at
FAA sees amateur built aircraft as
the largest single source of the bad
accident rate, and we know from
previous contact the he sees
Lancairs at the top of the amateur
built list.
Mr. Cintron seems genuinely
committed
to
an
actual
Jan 2011
4.
5.
improvement in safety, not just rearranging the numbers.
He knows that the quickest
number improvement action that
he can take is regulatory, but
seems to believe a non-regulatory
approach is more effective in the
long run.
I believe that he recognizes LOBO
specifically
(and
other
organizations, of course) as
partners and seeks our input and
help.
All in all, I believe this was a productive
two days, and that LOBO’s attendance
was noticed and appreciated. Please
feel free to contact me if you have
questions or ideas you might like
brought forward at future meetings.
For questions or comments contact Bill
at n5zq@verizon.net
LLO
OBBO
OFFAAAASSTTeeaam
mW
WhhiitteePPaappeerr
The content below is copied from a White Paper
presented to FAA Safety Team on behalf of LOBO
at the Sebring Summit, Jan 20, 2011.
The Lancair Owners and Builders
Organization (LOBO) is pleased to
participate with the FAA and industry
in the FAA Safety Team (FAASTeam)
Sebring Summit January 20, 2011.
LOBO is an international type club for
Lancair owners, builders, fliers and
enthusiasts who support the Lancair kit
aircraft fleet. LOBO was formed in the
fall of 2008 in response to a need to
news
provide support to Lancair owners.
There are approximately 250 LOBO
members. There are nearly 1000
Lancairs issued an airworthiness
certificate in the United States.
Lancair was founded in 1981 and has
sold over 2000 Lancair kits worldwide.
Including the prototype Sentry there
are eleven different models of the
Lancair fleet:
 Lancair 200: 2-seat kit powered by
Continental
0-200
engine,
released in 1985
 Lancair 235: 2-seat kit powered by
Lycoming O-235 engine, released
in 1986
 Lancair 320: 2-seat kit powered by
Lycoming O-320 engine, released
in 1988
 Lancair 360: 2-seat kit powered by
Lycoming O-360 engine, released
in 1988
 Lancair ES: 4-seat fixed gear TCM
IO 550
 Lancair IV: 4-seat retract TCM IO
550 (non pressurized)
 Lancair IV-P: 4-seat retract TCM
TSIO 550 (5 psid pressurized)
 Lancair Legacy: 2-seat retract and
fixed gear versions TCM IO550 and
a 360 version
 Lancair Propjet: 4-seat retract
Walter 601 turboprop (5 psid
pressurized)
 Lancair Sentry: 2-seat tandem
Walter 601 turboprop
 Lancair Evolution: 4-seat retract
10
PWC PT6A-135A turboprop (6 psid
pressurized)
The graph at the bottom left of this
page details the distribution of Lancair
model specific information.
LANCAIR SAFETY
There are approximately 167 reported
Lancair accidents in the LOBOmaintained database. The first serious
accident in a Lancair occurred at Fond
Du Lac, WI on 8/1/1989 during
AirVenture and involved a fatal stall/
spin accident during a base turn to
final. As more and more Lancairs
receive airworthiness certificates, more
accidents have occurred on an annual
basis. 2008 has been the worst year
thus far with 19 fatalities and seven
destroyed aircraft. 2009 saw a large
reduction in accidents and fatalities
since 2008—over a 50% reduction.
2010 accident numbers declined to the
best in ten years. LOBO has been
working vigorously to reduce the
Lancair accident rate. LOBO’s efforts
will be discussed elsewhere in this
paper.
All models except the Sentry and
Evolution have been involved in serious
accidents.
There have been no
accidents involving pressurization.
A significant risk factor associated with
Lancair accidents is “low time in type”
and
“pilot
certificate
level”.
Approximately 44% of all Lancair
Jan 2011
news
LOBO believes the private pilot flies
fewer flight hours than the pro pilot
and consequently has an accident rate
skewed towards more accidents per
hour than any other certificate level.
This statistic must be confirmed
analytically so scarce resources can be
targeted properly.
Better pilot training and testing in GA
is required to correct the above
deficiencies and some of this can be
corrected with amendments to the
Practical Test Standards by requiring
more landings and more high alpha air
work and stall demonstrations on
check rides, etc.
accidents have involved pilots with less
than 100 hours in model. This figure
closely follows the GA accident
statistics where 46% of the private
pilots involved in accidents have less
than 100 hours in make/model (as
reported by the 2008 Nall Report).
While turbine aircraft over 12,500#
require type specific training, anyone
with a private pilot certificate can
purchase and fly a Cessna 421, Beech
King Air 90, Lancair IVP or Evolution
with no additional training required. It
is no surprise then that uninitiated,
overconfident
pilots
contribute
significantly to the GA accident
statistics. THIS IS THE ELEPHANT IN
THE ROOM.
36% of all active U.S. pilots [211,000 of
595,000 pilots] but a larger share of
those flying non-commercially, since
they are ineligible to command
commercial flights. For this reason, and
because of the lack of reliable data on
their risk exposure in terms of either
number of flights or total flight hours,
it is not clear whether private pilots are
at excess risk compared to pilots at
higher certification levels. Private pilots
are less likely to have sought advanced
training …” AOPA 2009 Nall Report
Fifty-six percent of all Lancair accidents
have involved private pilots. Again this
follows GA numbers, but it is
noteworthy that while private pilots
account for about one-third of all pilot
certificates they inflict over one half of
the accidents.
The AOPA addressed this in their 2009
Nall Report with the following
comments:
“Private pilots were involved in 50% of
all accidents and 52% of those that
were fatal (Figure 11). They make up
11
As explained elsewhere, the root cause
of many of these accidents is a poor
understanding of aerodynamics and
aircraft performance and handling by
the average GA pilot. Training at the
student pilot level must be improved in
order to have a long term positive
effect throughout GA and EXP AB.
Recurrent pilot training must improve
and type training is strongly
recommended.
At the other end of the spectrum is that
there are no serious accidents involving
Lancair pilots with more than 1000
hours in model. The only LOBO
Jan 2011
news
LOBO has embraced a Code
of Conduct for its members.
Phase of flight accidents
again mirror GA statistics
with takeoff and landing
accidents accounting for over
one half of all Lancair
accidents. Hard landings,
bounced landings, loss of
control on landing or takeoff,
runway
excursions,
etc.
comprise these accidents.
Again, lack of skill that can be
remedied with training at the
entry point (GA private pilot
flight training) and at the
transition point (Lancair
purchase).
Some Lancair
pilots eschew training but for
the IV series and Evolution
fliers insurance requirements
mean annual training with a
approved training provider.
LOSS OF CONTROL (STALL/
SPIN)
member accident to date occurred to a
pilot who suffered a propeller loss in
flight, made a successful engine out
landing on a beach, only to hit a jogger.
Pilot error leads Cause 1, mirroring
General Aviation. Poor decision
making, insufficient aeronautical skills,
and other factors contribute to the
pilot error accidents. Egregious and
blatant acts of illegal flying have been a
factor in more than one Lancair
accident including flathatting, non
rated pilots filing IFR flight plans, low
altitude aerobatic flight in the traffic
patterns, etc. A campaign urging pilots
to “Fly Responsibly” is long overdue.
turbulence encounter on takeoff, one
involved a fuel starvation and one
involved a thunderstorm penetration
and loss of control. Two of the stall spin
accidents have occurred with flight
instructors aboard giving stall training.
Three of the accidents involved flight
testing in Phase I.
Most Lancair aircraft do not have any
stall strips to give a solid aerodynamic
buffet pre-stall or encourage a Part 23
type stall response. Many later vintage
Lancair aircraft are equipped with EFIS
like Chelton that have internal “bitchin
Betty” stall warning systems or the
Proprietary Systems AOA system. The
calibration of the stall warning systems
is important for proper function on the
aircraft. The Evolution, if it is equipped
with stall strips is 14 CFR 23.49 and 14
CFR 23.201, 203 and 207 compliant.
The Lancair IV series aircraft does not
appear to have a significant risk of stall
accidents once the other factors are
understood.
There have been 73 loss of
control accidents involving
Lancair aircraft since 1989.
Loss of Control (LOC) as
defined by LOBO involves an
accident whose cause can be
attributed in part to the
pilot’s inability to properly
control the aircraft; i.e. the
pilot stops flying the airplane
and the airplane starts flying the pilot.
This can be a classic stall or spin, a
runway excursion, etc. The aircraft
involved in the LOC accidents have
been all Lancair models except Sentry
and Evolution.
Twenty five of those accidents involve
a classic stall/ spin either as a primary
cause 1 or secondary cause 2-5. Eleven
of those accidents involved a Lancair IV
series aircraft. In six IV series LOC
accidents the LOC was the primary
event. Five IV series accidents involved
an initiating event (loss of power,
thunderstorm penetration, etc.) before
control was lost. One involved wake
12
RISK MITIGATION STRATEGIES
In 2008, LOBO drafted a FITSendorsed training syllabus and
completed its review by early 2009.
Since its introduction in 2009, LOBO
has worked with the insurance industry
Jan 2011
news
incorporated under the
8700.1 FSIMS system.
Look what happened to
our accident rate after
the policy change in
2006. It went up! While
the LODA process has
been reinstated, time
will tell if it is an
effective program.
Here is the current
language from the
8700.1:
3-292
to gain its acceptance of the syllabus
for transition and recurrent training.
LOBO members and non-members can
seek flight training from LOBO
endorsed flight instructors who
themselves have completed LOBO’s
standardization and evaluation training
program. Pilots must complete the
entire FITS syllabus to receive a
graduation certificate. LOBO is
committed to raising the bar.
Experimental AB aviation suffers from
training issues not found in many other
aspects of GA. These include
regulations, lack of training aircraft
availability, as well as a dearth of
qualified instructors. As many of you
know there is a prohibition on training
while the aircraft is in Phase I (test) due
to operating limitations restrictions. It
seems we are taking a step backward
with this rule. If we are going to train
our way out of the current accident
rate we need to revise the rules. Our
members have a Catch 22 situation -they can't get training until they fly off
their hours and they can’t fly until they
train. No wonder the accidents are up.
This topic was addressed at SNF with
the FAA. We need to fix this.
Additionally 14 CFR 91.319 prohibits
commercial training in experimental
aircraft.
The current FAR Part 91.319 states:
(e) No person may operate an
aircraft that is issued an
experimental certificate under
§21.191(i) of this chapter for
compensation or hire, except a
person may operate an aircraft
issued an experimental certificate
under §21.191(i)(1) for compensation or hire to—
(1) Tow a glider that is a light-sport
aircraft or unpowered ultralight
vehicle in accordance with §91.309;
or
(2) Conduct flight training in an
aircraft which that person provides
prior to January 21,2010.
The FAA has recently reinstated the
EXP-AB 319 waiver/LODA process for
"flight instruction for hire" program.
The EAA ran the program for many
years and then in 2006 the FAA
brought it in house under Notice
N8700.47 with an expiration date of
8/10/2007 where it was supposed to be
13
A. Use of Aircraft for
Instruction. An aircraft
with an experimental
airworthiness
certificate may be used for
crew training or flight
instruction when no
charges or remuneration for use of the aircraft are
involved. A pilot or owner may use
the services of an instructor to
receive
instruction
in
an
experimental aircraft; however, a
commercial operator may not
provide such an aircraft for the
purpose of flight instruction for
hire.
B. Flight Instructors. A person who
is the owner or operator of an
experimental aircraft may receive
flight instruction in that aircraft and
pay for the flight instructor’s
services. However, this person must
be the owner or operator of the
aircraft in order for the flight
instructor to receive compensation.
One member reported 8900.15 might
be the fix—here is what he wrote last
spring.
I am working with the Boston FSDO
to get a Letter of Deviation as
permitted by 91.319(h).
My current principal point of
contact is Thomas MacMurtry. He
will likely not be the final contact
person.
Jan 2011
After some research on their side all
indications are that they expect to
be able to issue this letter using the
(now expired) process in notice N
8900.15. I have passed Thomas a
very
simple
proposal
letter
requesting the approval and the
LOBO course materials. I asked him
to review the letter and help me put
it into final form. He is working with
(as yet unidentified) OPS person in
the Boston office to review this.
In our phone conversations Thomas
has indicated that he expects them
to be able to issue a LODA with a
long list of operational rules
patterned after similar programs
issued to the military and jet demo
guys. He went through the list with
me and the only special rule that
seemed
significant
was
a
requirement for what amounts to
100 hour inspections by a certified
mechanic or repair station. When I
see the details on this it will
probably require that the annual be
signed off by an A and I rather than
the A and P requirement for an
experimental aircraft. I do not know
if a signoff by the builder (with
repair
station/manufacturer
authority) will qualify. In any case
for me this is no hardship at all
since my annuals are signed off in
this way anyway.
He reported on 1/13/2011 that he
received his LODA – over a
year after starting this
process. This situation must
be remedied if we are to
improve flight safety. We
must eliminate roadblocks to
training. Training in a “similar”
certified aircraft does not
suffice in many cases.
news
best. What has LOBO contributed to
this success? Encouraged by EAA’s Earl
Lawrence, five Lancair owners formed
LOBO in October 2008. It was no
coincidence that LOBO was formed
during the worst year for Lancair
accidents. Type clubs work—people
who belong to type clubs have a
significantly lower accident rate than
non-members.
LOBO’s Board is filled with subject
matter experts. We are reaching out to
members and non members who build
and fly these fast glass aircraft. LOBO
encourages and fosters responsible
flying through its newsletters, social
events, bylaws, website and training
events.
In addition to flight training, LOBO has
been educating Lancair owners with
respect to maintenance of their
aircraft. LOBO has hosted three
maintenance clinics across the country
and has four scheduled for 2011. The
goal is to raise the level of knowledge
of Lancair maintenance requirements
and reduce EXP-AB maintenance
related accidents.
LOBO recommends fostering the
growth of EXP-AB type clubs and
subject matter experts across the EXP–
AB world. We work at the grass roots
level.
LOBO
appreciates
the
opportunity to contribute to this effort
to improve EXP -AB safety.
Social Occasions
claudette colwell
Let’s start off
with the big
news first:
1st Annual LOBO/Lancair Fly-In
October 7—9, 2011
Taney County Arpt (KPLK)
Branson, Missouri
I’m sure all of you are as excited about
this new joint venture and the venue as
we are!
Lancair International’s Lisa Williams
(Events and Marketing) and I are
working together to organize a stellar
event for Lancair owners, pilots and
builders.
We’ve selected Branson, Missouri as
the location for a number of reasons:
First, it is a central location. Second, it
boasts a huge variety of attractions and
entertainment above and beyond
meeting and getting to know your
fellow LOBO members and Lancarians.
Branson Landing has over 100 shops,
dining of every variety, wine tasting,
and a spectacular fountain water show
with fire, light and music. It also
features a scenic boardwalk spanning
l.5 miles of shoreline on Lake
Taneycomo.
There
are
Branson Landing Cruises, a
Payne Stewart Golf Course
and many more activities.
Of course, the heart of any flyin, especially for Lancair pilots,
is the airport and the events
occurring there. Taney County
Airport (KPLK) will have a
newly repaved runway and
taxiways by the time of our
arrival. Runway 11/29 is 3738’ x
100’ at an elevation of 940’.
There is an AWOS on the field.
LOBO—TYPE CLUBS WORK!
LOBO is committed to
reducing the Lancair accident
rate. In two years the Lancair
fleet has gone from the worst
accident rate since 1989 to the
14
Jan 2011
news
.
We’ve negotiated a 50% rate cut on
parking to $5.00 per night for Lancairs
attending the fly-in. The airport’s
capable staff is looking forward to our
fly-in and assures me they plan to
make our visit enjoyable. In addition to
other airport facilities, we will have
access to a 10,000 sq ft venue for fly-in
exhibits, forums and activities.
For meals, overnight accommodations
and other event activities we’ve
selected
the
beautiful
Hilton
Promenade at Branson Landing. This
outstanding facility boasts first-class
accommodations, and they’ve offered
attendees a great price on rooms in
exchange for booking a block of 50 per
night. The fly-in special rate of $139 is
not available after September 7, so
book early!
upcoming events
MX Clinic
attending the Lancair fly-in to get the
special rate.
Full event registration is $75.00 per
person, and $50.00 for accompanying
spouses. For those planning a Saturday
arrival, registration will be $50.00 and
$40.00 for an accompanying spouse.
Your registration fee pays for:






Friday night cocktail party
Saturday night banquet
Continental breakfast Sat. & Sun
Sandwiches for lunch Fri. and Sat.
Rooms for forums/vendor exhibits
And a guaranteed great time!
NationAir Insurance has already signed
up at the Wing Level sponsorship and
will be our Saturday night banquet cohost w/no-host bar. Lancair will co-host
the Friday night cocktail party w/nohost bar.
We are also planning a special optional
event for the ladies who attend and are
not interested in the pilot/airfield
activities on Saturday.
It will help tremendously if all who plan
to attend—and we hope that’s
everyone reading this!—will RSVP to
Lisa by the requested date of March 1.
Our agreement with the Hilton has
dates that commit us to a percentage
of the anticipated revenue (which is
ordinary
procedure),
so
early
reservations on your part will help us
know we can hit those targets on time.
Make your room reservations directly
with the Hilton, and mention you are
In the coming weeks we will
updating you with a schedule
planned activities including a list
vendors who have committed
attend and/or sponsor the event.
be
of
of
to
This is going to be an outstanding
inaugural event. Look for this to be the
first of many more. We’re already
looking at locations for next year.
Make it a New Year’s Resolution to
Attend the LOBO/Lancair Fly-in, Oct.
7-9, Branson, Missouri, Taney County
Airport and Hilton Promenade Hotel at
Branson Landing.
15
When: Mar 19-20, 2010
Where: Trenton Airport (KTGC)
Milan, TN
Get construction and painting tips
from expert Brad Simmons. RSVP
ASAP!
LOBO Sun ‘n Fun Social
When: Mar 31, 2010
Where: Huntington Hills Country
Club | Lakeland, FL
Meet and greet fellow LOBO
members in a ‘cocktail party’
atmosphere. RSVP ASAP!
MX Clinic
When: May 14, 2010
Where: Ada, OK (KADH)
Learn about engine baffling and
GAMI injectors with the master,
George Braly!
st
1 LOBO/Lancair Fly-in
When: Oct 7-9, 2010
Where: Branson, MO (KPLK)
Two full days of all things Lancair—
food, forums, flying and fun! DO
NOT MISS THIS EVENT!!!
For the latest information check our
website at www.lancairowners.com
Put the dates on your calendar… RSVP
and let us know you will attend… Make
your reservations with the Hilton
Promenade at Branson Landing
mentioning Lancair to get our special
rate.
Please
RSVP
via
email
to
lisaw@lancair.com, and send your
registration payment (check or credit
card) to Lisa at Lancair as soon as
possible.
Jan 2011
Sun ‘n Fun LOBO Banquet
Huntington Hills Country Club
Lakeland, Florida
Thursday, March 31, 2011
This is fast becoming the must-attend
event for Lancairians at Sun ‘n Fun!
NationAir Insurance has again agreed
to host what will be our third annual
LOBO Sun ‘n Fun banquet at the
Huntington Hills Golf & Country Club
(2626 Duff Road, Lakeland, Florida
33810). We’re planning the banquet for
6—9:30 pm. This was an outstanding
evening last year; don’t miss it this
year!
Tickets are $25.00 per person payable
on LOBO’s website link via PayPal, or
you can mail a check payable to LOBO
to:
LOBO
18437 Edison Avenue
Chesterfield, Mo. 63005
Checks must be mailed no later than
Friday, March 18. Any late reservations
that can be accommodated (no
guarantees!) will cost $5.00 more per
person. Dinner is buffet style with a
complete delicious meal. We’ll publish
the menu as soon as it’s finalized.
news
take a break from the helter skelter of
AirVenture for a relaxing evening of
fellowship, great food and an afterdinner speaker you’re sure to
remember. We’ll post the buffet menu
shortly, but based on past experience
dinner is sure to be delicious!
Please RSVP to Claudette Colwell,
(colwells@comcast.net)
with
the
number of attendees. Please include
the names of those in your party, your
Lancair aircraft type and N number if
available for name badges.
Because there is so much demand for
banquet space during AirVenture,
advance reservations are required. The
$25 per person costs includes a buffetstyle dinner, a no-host bar, an update
on LOBO business from President Jeff
Edwards, an after-dinner speaker and
more fellowship than you can possibly
handle! Ask anyone who went last year
and they’ll tell you this is a must attend
event! Tickets are available now on our
website. You pay there via PayPal or
mail a check payable to LOBO our
address in Chesterfield (see Sun ‘n Fun
banquet announcement above)
Again, payment by check must be
postmarked no later than Thursday,
PLEASE MAKE YOUR RESERVATIONS
EARLY!
Reservations are required no later than
March 22. We again have to submit a
guaranteed number of attendees and
will be obligated to pay for that
number. Please notify Jeff Edwards via
email (j.edwards@lancairowners.com)
with your reservation information.
Please also let Jeff know if you need
transportation to the Country Club.
Save the Date
LOBO Oshkosh Annual Banquet
Hilton Garden Inn, Oshkosh
Thursday, July 28
Get ready for another LOBO banquet—
our third so far!—at Oshkosh
AirVenture. Hosted again by NationAir
Insurance, this will be a rare chance to
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July 14, 2011 to meet the reservation
deadline. Reservations made after
Thursday July 14 can only be made via
PayPal, and will cost $35.00 per person.
Sorry – but that is the deadline to
guarantee our number to the Hilton.
For questions contact Claudette via
email: c.colwell@lancairowners.com
Builder’s Corner
mark sletten
After spending
what seems to
have been a
lifetime
building,
my
project is finally
beginning to
take shape into something actually
resembling an aircraft!
I took delivery of my Legacy FG kit in
Oct 2004 after a week of Lancair’s
builder’s assistance. Never having
worked with fiberglass or composites,
it was more like a week of drinking
from a fire hose! I was lucky enough to
have a couple of conscripts with me—
Jan 2011
both my Dad and my Father-in-Law.
Despite my relative lack of experience,
I felt pretty confident we would get a
lot done, especially as these two gents
boasted over 50 years aerospace
wrench-turning experience between
them—Dad #1 with 20 years in the
USAF, and Dad #2 with over 34+ years
at Delta.
During that week we got the wings,
horizontal/vertical stabs and elevator
closed out, cut the rudder from the
vertical stab, bonded both the wing
center section and horizontal stab to
the fuselage and fitted/bonded the
canopy frame. If only that dazzling
burst of progress had lasted…
Since then, the project has progressed
in fits and starts. Between delays for
parts, and changes in life/work
situations, it sometimes seemed I
would never see the project to fruition.
But I’ve kept doggedly at it, and even
though progress has been slow, it has
been steady.
I’ve taken on a bit more risk than the
average Lancair kit builder in that I’ve
chosen to use an “alternative” (ahem,
automotive) engine to power my magic
carpet. Subaru has earned an
unmatched reputation for designing
and building durable (some say
indestructible) and long-lived engines.
Its latest masterpiece is a 3.6 liter, port
injected, horizontally-opposed 260 hp
six cylinder. Instead of the dual,
news
independent
ignition
systems of a traditional
aviation engine it sports
a coil-on-plug ignition
design incorporating a
separate ignition coil
for each cylinder.
Another aspect of my
building
experience
that’s added considerably to the build time is
my desire to do as
much of the actual
work as possible myself. This is
supposed to be learning experience,
after all, and boy have I learned some
things! As such, I’ve not farmed out the
engine installation, nor the panel/
electrical
system
design
and
installation.
The electrical system is particularly
critical since the Subaru is electrically
dependent (loss of electrical power
results in engine shut down).
Because both the fuel injection and the
ignition require an uninterrupted
supply of electrical power through the
Electronic Control Unit (ECU)—the
brains for the Electronic Fuel Injection
and Ignition (EFII) system, I’ve
designed—with the help and advice of
the good folks over at the Aeroelectric
Connection—a triple-redundant electrical system which includes the
engine-driven alternator and two
batteries. Each battery is capable of
powering the EFII system for 30
minutes independently from
the other.
I’m rapidly approaching the
point where I need to start
thinking about getting some
primer on the fiberglass, as fuel
system and engine testing is
the next major step. Assuming I
find no major anomalies
requiring a rethink/redesign
(yeah right!) I hope to be taxi
testing and looking toward FAA
inspection and Phase I testing
by the end of summer. Hey—
17
hope never dies, right?
Anyone know a good test pilot who
wants to fly behind a Subaru?
What’s Your Story?
What are you building or flying? We are
looking for great articles for each issue
about Lancairs. Tell us what you are
building or flying, include some
pictures and tell us a story about your
project and adventures. Authors
selected for publication will receive a
LOBO polo shirt.
For questions or comments contact Mark
via email: m.sletten@lancairowners.com
LOBO Talk
bob pastusek
r.pastusek@laincairowners.com
LOBO is now more than two years old,
and as noted elsewhere in this
newsletter, your Council, as well as a
few pro-active members, has been very
active in promoting and protecting our
interests with the FAA, EAA and
insurance underwriters during the past
two years. Likewise, some of you have
contributed
newsletter
articles,
maintenance and ground instruction at
our gatherings, and all have helped us
make these beautiful aircraft safer to
operate during the past two years.
At the end of 2010 we had 230 active
members, with a couple of new
members pending. 143 of you have
registered, flying airplanes; most
Jan 2011
others are still building, and we have a
few Lancairian wannabes and other
interested parties.
For those of you still working on, or
contemplating building, I can assure
you that although it's a long and
tedious journey to a flight-worthy
Lancair, the results are well worth the
effort! For all, and especially those now
flying, we believe we'll achieve
improved insurability and at least a
small reduction in insurance rates for
LOBO members during 2011. Please
appreciate that LOBO membership
won't guarantee that you'll be
insurable, and it certainly won't get you
Cessna 172 rates, but as Jeff pointed
out at the start of this newsletter, we
now have good statistical evidence to
demonstrate that we are an insuranceworthy risk; an idea that was
universally rejected at the end of 2008.
To further our training, safety and
specifically our outreach objectives,
we're now undertaking a major
membership drive. The 143 actively
flying LOBO members represent about
17% of the 862 FAA-registered Lancair
aircraft, and although the FAA
registration data is not very accurate, it
is one basis for recruiting members. (I
could write a lot about what I've
discovered in trying to develop a
reasonable mailing list from the FAA
data. My conclusion is that like it or
not, the FAA needs to "re-register"
aircraft in the US. What they have now
is at least 20% in error with respect to
fundamental information, and likely
much more.)
Noting that almost half our current
LOBO members aren't actively flying
Lancairs yet (at least according to the
FAA), we sought, and received from
Lancair, a current customer list for use
in seeking new members. This speaks
for itself in demonstrating the
significant interest on the part of
Lancair Companies in building a better
relationship with its customers; LOBO
is very pleased to be an active part of
this new approach!
news
Lancair
International's
assistance
almost doubles the number of
potential LOBO members we can
contact directly, and most of them will
have an interest in both the social and
educational benefits of membership.
You can help by referring potential
members to our web site at
www.lancairowners.com.
and add any missing data so that we
can develop and portray an accurate
"picture" of LOBO members who
operate a Lancair to the FAA and
insurance industry. As Bill Harrelson
noted, FAA data is sketchy, and we
want to ensure any action on its part is
based on the most up-to-date
information.
Given the above, plus the favorable
publicity LOBO received in recent FAA
and EAA publications for our
involvement with safety and training, I
believe we can double our membership
during 2011. This would give us a
substantially better distribution of
members around the country and more
skilled people to call upon to work
issues both internal and external to
LOBO.
If you do not wish to provide this
information, please so indicate in your
returned form, but I encourage you to
do so. Your information will be
safeguarded in accordance with our
policy below, and will be used only for
the purposes indicated.
As I noted in the last newsletter, we've
not actively collected membership
dues since you first applied for
membership (although some have
voluntarily sent money anyway). To
provide needed funds for both
professional and social activities, we
propose to set 1 January as the
beginning of each dues year, and to
collect $40 in dues from all members
who did not pay during 2010. Those of
you who joined last year (and those
who sent money for renewal in 2010)
are considered fully paid for 2011.
You should have received both a letter
and an email soliciting both a
membership information update and (if
appropriate according to our records),
a dues payment by the time you read
this. We're trying this multi-media
contact because we've lost touch with
a couple of members, and unless you
let us know, we have almost no way of
knowing when this happens.
You may complete the information
update and dues payment by regular
mail or electronically through email
and
PayPal
(accessible
at
www.lancairowners.com). It is both
URGENT and TIME CRITICAL that you
update your membership information
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"LOBO uses this information
[collected on our Membership
Application Form, and during
annual membership updates] for
administrative purposes, to track
membership statistics and to
identify individuals with talents
who might contribute to our goal in
making LOBO the best type-club in
General Aviation. Although LOBO
shares aggregate data about our
members and aircraft with the EAA,
FAA and insurance agencies to
facilitate safety initiatives and
insurability, your personal contact
information will not be shared
without your express consent."