The whole thing is getting just a little bit silly when people are judged by their e-mail address. On what grounds does aeroguru (now THERE is a totally unconvincing nickname) justify the comment that FF Cat probably doesn't know what he(or she) is talking about.
Now for Multi-X. Whilst I greatly respect the licence cover (higher than I ever had) there is a tendency for a 'them and us' attitude in the civil aircraft industry. Engineers on the hangar floor who actually produce the revenue for FLS probably feel that they get minimal support from their desk-bound colleagues. Conversely, even the most highly qualified and perceptive of engineers frequently prove beyond doubt that they are prone to making administrative mistakes such as mis-quoting a part number or demanding a part which is shown in the IPC as being NP (non-procurable) RF (reference only) or even just inventing a part number - yes I SWEAR that happens.
As regards the lack of spares, FLS engaged a team of 'consultants' who advised them that they should not actually stock spares but rely on their suppliers, going to prove that only aviation folks can actually run an aviation business. The lack of basic everyday spares is certainly a significant factor. How can anyone justify going AOG for the same spare three times in ten days??
Lastly for the moment, I find it hard to believe that the customers are ripping off FLS. I suspect that some of the contracts may have been drawn up by theorists with little or no experience of airplanes and the realities of operation come out to the detriment of FLS. I recall hearing somewhere that FLS have done a very good job with the BA Airbus fleet by the way.
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true happiness is a grounded DC10