In article .com,
wrote:

I'm a little less chary of it, though I prefer the Lancair (from a
distance) because of their attention to the cabin crash dynamics. IIRC
they poached some of the guys who worked on the Diamond planes which
have an absolutely amazing safety record, especially the Katana. This
plus airbags has for me a lot more safety value than CAPS, which

I think the Lancair (or Columbia as they're calling themselves) are the
better airplanes. However, neither one has a long-term cost of
ownership or reliability history. Kit-built cost of ownership is one
thing, but when it's certificated, and then you have to hunt down an A&P
who has been trained on the airplane, that certainly limits your options
and raises the overall cost.

No doubt that as automation increases, piloting skills required
decrease. That may contribute to greater safety if adequate redundancy
is employed, but it also takes a certain charm out of flying an airplane.



JKG