Originally Posted by
PowerPedal
And you've hit the nail on the head Crab. Although you are obviously a very experienced helicopter pilot and no doubt have been around the industry a long time, I suspect you've never actually owned a helicopter yourself, nor had to pay for the maintenance of one out of your own hard earned. (Please open disclosure on this and set the record straight, you are a very vocal critic and its important for context) The frustration with the existing manufacturers in our small world of helicopters is a key driver of why Hill started the HX50 in the first place. Cost of entry is high, but the real killer is the maintenance costs, and calendar life limits that make helicopter ownership prohibitively expensive for private owners. This is why he already has 1200+ orders without even having anything flying yet. I think it's fair to say that on this forum, despite our differences, we all love helicopters and flying. Some of us just want to have a shot at owning one under reasonable financial terms. Is Hill the answer? Time will tell. But there's no one else doing anything significant to address the issue, so why not get behind it and focus on the positives? He's making progress....
Why do you think maintenance costs are high? It's because the components are far more complex than on a FW.
I haven't owned my own nor ever will but I know quite a few owners and fly for one who has a lot of ex-military helicopters - if you want safety for you and your family, you pay the maintenance costs.
I am not defending the OEM prices for spares but they just follow what the car manufacturers do - lower the initial cost to get you to buy and then drag back some of that discount on spares and servicing.
Why do you think that Dr Hill is going to be any different or can't you see past the shiny shop window and politician-like promises?
Will he shake up the industry? I doubt it.
Will he make a half-decent helicopter for rich guys to pose in? Very probably.
Will people have to wait for longer than they thought for it? Almost certainly.