SonexBuilders.net

My impression after being part of the Sonex world for the last 12 years, is as follows. We seem to have a tremendous number of well meaning builders that embark upon a process of trying to modify their planes with no experience in doing so. Much of it based on word of mouth that so many things need to be changed to make it work.
Nothing could be further from the truth in my opinion. So much more safety could be had by builders, "following the plans" and getting their plane successfully operational.
This means safely getting some time under their belts and generally feeling out the various qualities of the planes design.
Only then after some time being acquired, (like after the 40 hour phase one) would one entertain the concept of gradual changes made to improve desired operational performance.
Too many builders have modified fuel systems, engine features beyond already tried and true. The majority of builders are sorely inept as test pilots. Too much building and very little flying fundamentals. Rusty would be a broad ranging word.
I simply shake my head in amazement at all the off runway excursions, flip overs, loss of control on takeoff, engine quits on take off for unknown reasons, fuel runs out (for obvious reasons), etc. These are self induced smacks in the forehead.
The Sonex community has a bad reputation for accidents. There is nothing fundamentally wrong with the plane. There IS a problem with folks that don't have any experience building, doing questionable mods with no engineering expertise.
I was all excited years ago trying to help some builders with their Aero-Injector set ups. I listened to their explanations of what was going wrong. Virtually every one I tried to help had simply started off by doing what their well intentioned friend told them, but none had set it up according to the instructions.
This example being my point. Many builders will head the direction of modification before executing what has been proven to work. It's all backwards and it is beginning to bite the group in the butt. Insurance is going up do to unsustainable losses. It could be different. The only way it will change is one builder at a time getting serious about understanding what they are doing and why. Not just a guess or some hype about another way being the ultimate answer.

Larry

Well stated.

Art,. You are correct. Frequency of flight is the most important thing to good airmanship skills. Assuming health, memory, reflexes, vision are normal then frequency of takeoffs and landings and some cross-country to landings at other airports where one has not landed before or in a long time or in different conditions of weather or day or night would be helpful to the airman. Thank you for your observations and comments. Jim Culp Sonex N100US, Live Oak FL

Good article explaining the increases.

https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all ... dium=email

Hi all,
Thanks john and graeme for the good articles. floods , fires, tornados, hurricanes, all adding up to the underwriters
for insurance. premiums are increased across other lines to keep themselves solvent.


be safe fly safe!

WaiexN143NM
Michael

So let me get this straight.... I'll be paying artificially high premiums to insure my airplane because they are too stupid to build above sea-level in New Orleans?

YES! You see, in the insurance industry, they call that "spreading the risk of the few among many". The math is the math!

Area 51% wrote:So let me get this straight.... I'll be paying artificially high premiums to insure my airplane because they are too stupid to build above sea-level in New Orleans?

Insurance is a great example of voluntary socialism. Those who pay premiums, expect to be paid if an insured event is experienced. The many pay the few. The payout is paid by the subscribers who pay the premium. Of course, the premiums must exceed the expected payouts. Insurance companies must collect more than they pay out to maintain a reserve in the event the payouts exceed the premiums. Insurance companies and their agents aren't taking advantage of us. They are just making sure the numbers work.
We engage in a risky activity. We expect to be covered in the event things turn pear shaped. There have been enough pear shaped events that they must raise rates to maintain the balance.

So....how do we determine if our rates for flying are increased due to the lack of skill on our part, or if it's due to an unscheduled hurricane?

One part of this thread eludes to higher premiums for aircraft because of the accident rate. Another states it's due to insurance companies "spreading the natural disaster load".

Must be a very complicated formula based on "deepest pockets" with "weakest lobby group".