Florida Fly-in, (hunting for RV's)

[l & d lewis]

I'm an NTSB field investigator from Alaska, detailed to our Miami office. FL has a high number of accidents each year that overwhelm the local staff. I've taken 8 accidents in the last 5 days. Yesterday (Saturday) I attended a fly-in in southern FL that was billed as an ultra-lite event, but I was told there would be amature-built/experimentals attending (RV's perhaps). The aircraft varied from Part 103 too amature-built, and numerous manufactured types. The mix presents unique challenges ie. mix of airspeeds, communications, and level of pilot proficiency. There were activities that make an accident investigator cringe. High speed passes over aircraft taxing back on the runway (no taxiways), a Cessna doing skidding turns on short final trying to slow down for Part 103 aircraft landing ahead, requiring a go-around over the top and below the treeline (a decision made way too late in the process), and a quick save from a ground-loop resulting in an excursion off the runway. Most of the aircraft attending were amature built or (fat) ultra-lites converted to experimental, the people friendly and most of the pilots skilled. Two RV's did show up, a very nice RV-9A (incidentally the pilot's wife said she enjoyed the building process very much), and an equally nice RV-4. I met a number of folks in the building process. Unfortunately on the way back to my hotel I received a call of an RV-7A accident. It seems the builder siezed the beautiful day to test hop his newly constructed airplane without benefit of final sign off and airworthiness certificate. In addition to an extensive rebuild and paperwork for me, he has to deal with a somewhat irritated FAA. We all have too much time and money invested to shortcut the process. Don't be in a hurry, there are plenty of beautiful flying days in the future. We owe it to ourselves, friends and family, and our planes to do things right. Have a great time building, and fly safe..........Larry