No one can accuse the Huey of being publicity shy
From todays Cape Times:
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V&A in court bid to keep Huey chopper on the ground
February 13, 2004
By Fatima Schroeder
The V&A Waterfront has lodged an urgent application in the Cape High Court to prevent a helicopter company from operating from its premises pending the lifting of a grounding order by the Civil Aviation Authority.
On January 7, the authority issued a grounding order after officials were allegedly denied access to maintenance records and could not establish the airworthiness of a Huey helicopter.
The grounding order could be lifted by a court or by agreement with the authority if the Huey Extreme Club can assure it that suspected defects in the Huey have been remedied.
Despite this, the chopper continued to be flown until January 17, when it made a forced landing in Cape Town. It wasn't flown again until January 29.
During the weekend of January 30 and 31, the attorney representing the Huey Extreme Club and Helicopter and Marine Services advised the Waterfront's attorney that the helicopter would not fly until February 2.
This followed a threat from the Waterfront to apply for an urgent order to stop it flying.
On January 31, the club appealed to the authority to lift the grounding order. If this did not occur by February 2, the club would seek an urgent court order to set it aside. The aviation authority declined to do so.
On February 3, the respondents flew the helicopter again. They did not file an application for a court order.
Counsel for the V&A submitted there could be no doubt that, if the helicopter continued to fly and was involved in an accident, it could damage life, limb or property.
Helicopter and Marine Services and the Huey Extreme Club said the Huey's safety record was "impeccable" and its condition "exemplary" and that the Waterfront had not made out a case that there was a safety risk.