Thank you for your precise [insider] clarification of the situation relating to the long gestation period surrounding gearbox changes on MD Explorer's Notar Fan.
I think you answered the question quite clearly with your post.
As to whether asking a question [I never stated at any point that I knew the whole answer] is attempting to mislead is debatable.
I have pointed out before that asking a question [yes, even here] is never the same as going into print with misleading information in the wider world.
As the world of MD [the old guard and the new] continues to be like some secret society at times it is often difficult to get any answer never mind the correct one. Unfortunately in the main the high density of MD Explorer operators in these parts tend to hold similar views and run a tight ship that ensures that only rumours leak out.
The Yorkshire Post article will, I suspect get everyone involved in aircraft selection checking their spec notes, 'hunkering down' and looking over theirs shoulders........ for a while anyway.
Going back a few steps it seems that it OK for anyone but a journo to pose an apparent scenario and ask a question on Pprune.... But I should not be surprised, that is the reaction I have received to most questions posed towards Mesa in the last 8 years. For the record, my statement was based on information circulating [but never published at the time] at the time Sussex were stuck on the ground for a month 'awaiting a gearbox' ...... Perhaps it was erronous, if so better out than in perhaps?
Perhaps in the world inhabited by some the lengthy Sussex grounding was also a figment of someones imagination.
Still, thats another one clarified! I think.