International Seawind Pilots Association

The International Seawind Pilots Association has no formal affiliation with SNA. Obviously, since it is their product that we are promoting and so passionate about, it seems it would be in everyone's best interest, especially SNA, to foster and promote a healthy informal recognition by each organization for the other. It is with this in mind, that the following letters are periodically sent to SNA.

Start by scrolling down to view the earliest letters, which appear at the bottom of the page.

After extensive effort to make the ISPA website an objective source of non-biased Seawind builder information, tirelessly promoting the Seawind, doing all in our power to establish a mutually beneficial rapport between the ISPA and SNA, and writing numerous letters to SNA, some of which can be seen further below, the following is the only written response we've ever received. The editor's responses (which were sent to SNA) are included in the bracketed statements in the letter.

Received June 29, 2004:
Dear [Editor],

I was really disappointed with your providing links to Kirk Creelman’s site that in-turn directed people to a site by Turbine Design with many derogatory pictures and remarks about the Seawind.

Proof of the results of those kinds of actions is shown in Tom Thunnell’s post #1302 where he said – "Had I joined the ISPA first and read all the postings, I probably would not have bought the kit".

It makes me wonder how many sales were lost because of some negative garbage read on the ISPA site or one of the other sites that were generated by Paul A? (Whatever his real name is) and his group.

[Editor’s reply: "Negative Garbage on the ISPA site?" (BTW, Paul A. has nothing to do with the ISPA site! He did not set it up.) In the beginning, when Rod Teel set up the site, he published much of the same information about Paul A that those of you in SNA did. I took it off the site because it created too much negativity and I hoped to move us beyond it. You would have known this if you had read my editorials (editorials can now be seen on the Brent Carlson "Letters" page).

Paul, SNA has never had an advocate that has tried any harder than I have to further the Seawind cause. I have spent  hundreds of hours of my own time on the ISPA site trying to provide objective and positive information about the Seawind. Did you also wonder how many Seawinds have been purchased because of positive things from the ISPA site and our members? I know there are some.

What negative garbage do I have on the ISPA site? I have done everything I can to remove the negative garbage or dispute it when I see it. The ISPA site has always been an advocate for SNA. Rod Teel also did all he could to dispute the nay-sayers. The negative garbage has been on other sites, NOT THIS ONE! I suppose you think you would be better off without the International Seawind Pilots Association; that is the impression you give. Providing this kind of vindictive response to those of us who have tried so hard to be friends of SNA seems out of line.]

Trying to hide the things other people are saying is not an effective way to deal with them. Do you think they don’t see the other sites? It is not the negative propaganda that poisons the sales, it is instead a failure to acknowledge it and effectively deal with it. Ignoring it or trying to hide it only makes it worse. Unfortunately for SNA, this site is the only one in existence that provides thoughtful, accurate, and objective rebuttal to your detractors. And, it's all being done at the expense of the owner builders, with less than encouraging support from those who have most to gain from our efforts and expense.

You said in your News Update post that many were upset by comments made in the last Seawind newsletter and that the comments were interpreted as "bashing the kit building community".

[Editor’s reply: I just relayed what some of our members have emailed me. Don’t kill the messenger. Am I supposed to deny that they say these things? Try to hide them? I can’t control what others may say, but I can try to address their concerns, and I have always tried to do so in a way that benefits SNA. In this case, I encouraged them to talk to you directly.]

As the one responsible for putting the news letter together, I don’t recall anything in the Seawind Flyer that could be construed as bashing kit builders.

I do know that there was a letter to all builders in regards to Unauthorized Parts. This letter basically reminds the kit builders that each and everyone signed a contract agreeing to build their Seawind according to the manufacturer’s instruction and that they would use the recommended engine. The contract also states that the builder will not copy any parts or use any unauthorized parts. I believe that I have a copy of that contract which you signed.

[Editor’s reply: My goodness, I know that I signed a contract. I’m not sure how this applies here. I am using an IO-540 K1G5, just as the manual says, and I am trying as hard as I can to build my kit in strict accordance with the builder manuals (like all builders, I'm finding this is a real challenge, I call you for clarification often. As I'm sure you know, building according to the manual cannot be done without your capable assistance and clarification.). I hope I’m not in breach of the contract! I’m not even sure why this is coming up here.]

Tom Thunnell did a good job of explaining the need for such a contract in his post #1316. I certainly could not have said it better.

I have personally researched the NTSB accident and incident reports in regards to the Seawind. In no case was any accident caused by any faulty part manufactured by SNA or due to the design of the aircraft. [Editor’s reply: Whoa here Paul, what about the collapsing nose gear? There are others... (power loss stall / spin recovery?) so let’s not go there... Everything that goes wrong is not the builder’s fault (as has always been claimed).] The accidents were caused by engine problems, hard landings, lack of proper training and pilot error.

I believe that every time there is a published accident or incident of this nature, it discourages one or more from buying a Seawind.

[Editor’s reply: Wow! The NTSB publishes the accident reports! Do you think they can be hidden under a rock? These issues have to be openly addressed and dealt with, not kept secret (even if you could!). Furthermore, I believe that every time a builder has an incident with a Seawind, the ISPA, and especially SNA have an obligation to share information and learn all we can from the incident, regardless of whose fault it is, especially if it’s the builder’s. This viewpoint is shared not only by those of us in the ISPA, but the entire aviation community and the FAA as well. Those of you at SNA would do well to examine your views on sharing accident information; it could be contributing to your frustration.]

Please keep in mind that if we don’t sell certified Seawinds, there will be no SNA, Inc. to support the kit builders.

[Editor’s reply: Have you read my editorial page applauding and supporting the certification effort? Have you read my editorial for goals of the ISPA "making the Seawind airplane the best it can be?" Has anyone anywhere ever given you more glowing endorsements than these? I doubt it.]

The cost to Seawind and SNA to battle all the unwarranted negative publicity has be enormous, but be assured, we are winning the battle. 

We will soon be posting on our web site that we have a SEASTAR for sale, as we now own the only Seastar demonstrator. 

[Editor’s reply: I wonder, was it all unwarranted? First of all, just a thought, perhaps these "enormous costs" could have been reduced with a little more communication and customer service, and less litigation! (Remember Paul, that not all of your predecessors were as good as you are.) Just imagine what the Seawind could be if all the money, time, and effort spent on litigation had been put into improving the product and customer relations.

Also, there was nothing whatsoever about the Seastar in the posts you reference! I don’t like the Seastar mess anymore than you do. Why throw this in my face? Why would SNA buy a Seastar? After buying it, why would you try to sell it? After all this talk about liability, I can't imagine such an act is in SNA's best interest, and in fact, brings motive into question. Remember, I own a Seawind! Best regards, Brent]

Feel free to respond to this letter at: [my email address] or call me at [my phone number].

Best regards,
Paul Marshall

To: seawindsna@aol.com
Sent: Monday, November 25, 2002 9:24 AM
Subject: Hello everyone, reply to brief request for Dick's password.

Greetings Dick, Millie, Paul, and everyone at SNA,

First of all, as you requested, Dick's log-in is: [].

I'm glad to hear that everyone is busy and doing well. I hope Dick enjoys the site, and as always, if you see anything that needs to be improved or changed, don't hesitate to drop me an email and I will modify it immediately.

Everyone in the ISPA are certainly enjoying their fabulous airplanes. Those who have recently purchased Seawinds are enthusiastic and friendly. We have a lot of new material on the site from their recent experience. All in all, the overall feeling is very up-beat.

As I told another ISPA member in an email this morning, I feel like my Seawind project is now at the 20% done, 200% to-go stage. I spend most of my time working on the ISPA site, but it has been enjoyable and immensely rewarding. I am now getting the site to a point where I can free-up some time to work on my plane. I have enjoyed working on the Seawind so far, and I can't wait to get back to it.

I hope all continues to go well with all of you at SNA. Thank you for everything and keep in touch.

Best regards,
Brent Carlson
President & Administrator
International Seawind Pilots Association

To: seawindsna@aol.com
Sent: Wednesday, November 20, 2002 9:37 AM
Subject: Hello, news, and status


Greetings Dick, Millie, and Paul,

I hope this finds all well at SNA.
 
I hope you folks are watching the ISPA web-site. November has been a great month for the Seawind community, which also just has to be good for SNA. Three Seawinds have sold in the after-market. Two complete and flying, and one partially competed kit. Ultimately, as the demand goes up, this will drive the price of kits up as well.

I have been working 10 to 12 hours per day, weekends included, on the ISPA web-site since taking over in September. It is paying off. Interest has been steadily picking up. Hits on the site have been steadily climbing, an so have the requests for information. I have posted a lot of new stuff, and I want to make sure that it is all OK with Dick.
 
I know that Dick is extremely busy. If any of you ever see anything on the site that I need to remove, improve, or change, please let me know ASAP. Please always remember that my primary and foremost goal is to promote the Seawind in a positive and objective way. If you spot anything that runs counter to this goal, I want to know about it.

The only down side of all this is that I haven't touched my own Seawind project for a couple of months. I am hoping to get out there today and "get after it." I want to install those beautiful pulley brackets that Paul sent me. They were worth the wait. That black anodizing is gorgeous. Being a typical motor-head, I have a thing for pretty parts! It's kind of a shame to bury them in the belly, but I just keep thinking about the inside of the tail of N369JB. Talk about a work of art!

After I get the pulley brackets in the belly, I'm going to turn it over, put the spray rails on, install the bulkhead centers, do the upside-down overhead lay-ups, and finish and paint the bottom. For me, applying the first of the paint, even if it's only the bottom, is going to be a huge milestone. When it's done, I'm going to have myself a beer!

Keep up the good work. Thank you for the parts!

Best regards,
Brent Carlson
President & Administrator
International Seawind Pilots Association

To: seawindsna@aol.com
Sent: Wednesday, November 06, 2002 7:19 AM
Subject: Message from the ISPA (for the SNA newsletter)


Greetings Dick, Millie, and Paul,
 
As I discussed in a former email, you may want to include the following letter in your newsletter. You could maybe title it "a letter from the ISPA" or "ISPA update." Of course, you can edit it as you see fit. Thank you. Hope all is well.
 
Greetings Dick,

There has been a lot of activity in the International Seawind Pilots Association since the September Splash-in that I thought you and your readers may be interested in. As Ed Lynch mentioned in your October newsletter, I have been selected to be the new ISPA administrator.
 
The ISPA currently has about 70 members. We do not currently publish a written newsletter, but we have a very active discussion group on the internet at www.seawindpilots.com. We also have an archive of all of our previous newsletters there for all members to see, and a growing library of builder and pilot information.

One of the main goals of our organization is to provide a friendly forum in which Seawind builders can exchange information and building tips during the construction of their Seawind. We also want to establish a historical record of the information and make it available to future builders. Recently we have made several new additions to our site that anyone who is interested in the Seawind will find fascinating, and owner / builders will find essential.

I'm not sure, but I think there may be some folks out there who would like to participate, but may not have access to the Internet. One of the things I'm contemplating, if there is enough interest and feedback, is printing our most informative posts and mailing them out on a bimonthly basis.

If any of your readers are interested in the ISPA, I invite them to browse over to our site and take a look. Those who do not have internet access can either call me at 801-334-0101, or write to me at the address below.

As usual, thank you for everything, especially such a great Airplane.

Best regards,
Brent Carlson
3941 Airport Road #493
Ogden, UT 84405
President & Administrator,
International Seawind Pilots Association
www.seawindpilots.com

To: seawindsna@aol.com
Sent: Monday, November 04, 2002 11:18 AM
Subject: A pledge of support, and a request for Dick Silva

Greetings Dick,

I am writing on behalf of the membership of the International Seawind Pilots Association. We want to extend our thanks to you for such a great airplane. We know it has come at tremendous personal effort and expense.

We recently learned of the tragic crash of Ed Riley's Seawind. Our current information indicates that he could surely have benefited from our organization's discussion board and information system. None of us knows or has been in contact with Ed. Our fear is that he may have not even known our organization exists. We also fear there may be others.

We have had a lot of discussion on our web-site discussion board lately about Ed's horrible crash. We are all touched and concerned. I would invite you to review some of the recent posts there, especially post #316. This post does a good job of expressing the frustration of some of our members. If you do not recall your username and password, just send me an email and I'll send it along to you.
 
I know how busy and swamped you are, but I also invite you to browse through our site when you have a few minutes. If you find any misinformation, or information that needs to be improved there, please let me know immediately so that I can fix it.  There is a small amount historical information there that may be distasteful, but I have been careful not to edit it, because it reflects our historical evolution, and I think that it helps others appreciate how far we've come. It is also helping us move into a new era of positive growth, communication, and support to builders and owners.
 
As both our current policies reflect, and as has been discussed at length in the past, we realize that it is in our best interest that there be no formal or implied affiliation between the ISPA and SNA, however, both  organizations can surely benefit from an informal recognition, and promotion of the other.
 
What we are requesting is that we be allowed a line or two in your newsletter to let people know that we exist. I would be glad to write up a small paragraph that just lets people know who we are, that we have no formal agreement with you, and how to get to our website. We would also like for SNA to mention our existence to new kit buyers.

We have also extended memberships to Paul Marshall and Millie so that they may review and participate with us. Thank you for making them available to us. They are both always extremely helpful, and totally delightful to work with.

We feel that by working in harmony with SNA, we can add a great deal to the Seawind community, and perhaps even take some of the load off of you. Thank you again, Dick. Have a great day.

Best regards,
Brent Carlson
President & Administrator
International Seawind Pilots Association