jmaynard
Joined: 27 Feb 2008
Posts: 394
Location: Fairmont, MN (FRM)
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 Posted: Sun May 11, 2008 9:26 am Post subject: Proper concern vs. uninformed speculation vs. harmful back-s |
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Larry's recent post about changing course crystallized something I've been
thinking about. Unlike most folks here, I don't have an investment of years
of effort at risk; I'm trading that for a six-figure sum and years of loan
payments. Like nearly everyone here, however, my life is at risk. That's
true of all aviation; the only thing up for debate is the magnitude of that
risk.
There's been a lot of discussion on this list about the recent series of
Zodiac XL crashes and their possible causes. Some folks take exception to
some of it, and a few have left the list rather than read it. Others have
been led to give up on their projects, in one case dealing a fatal blow to a
lifelong dream. I understand, and share, the sadness associated with that.
My Zodiac represents the culmination of a 20-year dream of my own. If I were
to decide to bag it, I'd be left with an expensive aircraft and have to take
a substantial (tens of thousands of dollars) loss on my investment, if I
could sell it at all.
However, we can't just bury our heads in the sand and ignore what appears to
be a substantial issue with the aircraft, its builders, its pilots, those
who maintain and inspect them, or some combination of the above. To do so
is, at best hopelessly naive, and at worst criminally foolish.
I don't know what those who have been complaining of the discussion on the
list would have us do. I'd like to hear it. I will say, however, that "wait
for the NTSB to come up with an answer" is not likely to be accepted, both
because they've been working for well over a year on one accident with no
end in sight, and because it's not human nature to wait patiently for
answers to a question with one's life potentially at stake.
Tho those who may blame me in any way for problems they perceive with the
list, I apologize. I'm not trying to come in here and destroy people's
dreams; I'm just trying to enjoy my own in the company of others who share
it. I'm not interested in having it kill me, however.
What should we do?
--
Jay Maynard, K5ZC http://www.conmicro.com
http://jmaynard.livejournal.com http://www.tronguy.net
http://www.hercules-390.org (Yes, that's me!)
Buy Hercules stuff at http://www.cafepress.com/hercules-390
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Jay Maynard, K5ZC
AMD Zodiac XLi N55ZC |
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