The Art of Problem Solving

EAA’s Type Club Coalition (TCC) held its 2023 annual meeting at AirVenture on 25 July. Agenda topics included: insurance challenges, transition training, the additional pilot program for E-AB aircraft, and task-based flight testing.

Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) and Lancair Owners and Builders Organization (LOBO) founder Jeff Edwards Ph.D. shared the Type Club’s so-called Worst to First story.

LOBO was formed in response to the high accident rate then endemic to Lancair family aircraft. Eleven such occurrences transpired in 2008, the year of LOBO’s founding. The LOBO training program—a Lancair training initiative developed by Mr. Edwards and his colleagues—was implemented in early 2009. In the years since, the incidence of accidents involving Lancairs has steadily declined. No fatal U.S. Lancair accidents occurred in the 25 months preceding January 2023. Moreover, no fatal Lancair Phase I accidents have occurred since the FAA released AC 90-116 in 2014.

In a refreshing instance of the proverbial system working, LOBO solved a real-world problem by employing data, training, and quality-control processes, and sharing the resultant information with the E-AB community via the Type Club Coalition.

During follow-up discussions, Tom Turner of the American Bonanza Society (ABS)—a longtime Type Club Coalition member and promoter of training for pilots and owners—stated type clubs and owners “ continue to navigate the challenging environment of training and insurance challenges.”

Minard Thompson of the International Birddog Association reviewed the challenges of a type without realistic transition training opportunities due to the unique nature of the aircraft type. Thompson shared that a recent spate of accidents continues to prove that “ you can’t fix stupid.”

Tom Charpentier, government relations director at EAA, shared with the TCC that the current year accident statistics continue to look good and remain below the FAA’s “not-to-exceed” threshold. “We are on pace to have a very good year.”

New safety initiatives from EAA were released, including a publication aimed at nonbuilder E-AB owners. The guide will be free and is currently in the final editing stages.

TCC chairman Coyle Schwab stated: “ AirVenture offers a unique opportunity for aircraft owners and pilots to meet with regulators and discuss their perspectives on issues that impact safety. Today’s meeting was very productive. I’m grateful to the type club representatives, the FAA, and EAA for the forum.”

FMI: www.eaa.org