Hughes500
By all means disagree as strongly as you like with Pat Malone's views, but there was no call for the offensive snide comment at the end.
Pat is a successful journalist and publisher - aviation being only one of the areas he covers. He used to instruct part-time (not at HeliAir, as far as I know) until he gave it up because of the demands of his main job, so I doubt if he'd want to give up his current business to become a helicopter salesman.
I can understand you not liking someone promoting Robinsons but, if features like his attract more people to learn to fly, instructors like yourself benefit - some will learn on a Hughes, and may even come to you. If affluent people read his feature and decide to charter a helicopter for their next long trip, professional pilots and operators benefit.
I don't suppose your animosity to PM has anything to do with him writing an article criticising the CAA for prosecuting an instructor who has an ongoing dispute with a customer of yours? (The customer whose arrogant and selfish disregard for his neighbours generated such adverse publicity for helicopters in the national press.)
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It seems some people here would have been happier if the Sunday Times feature had pointed out to potential students that flying helicopters might seem like fun, but it's difficult, expensive and a potentially dangerous hobby.
Or that every single aspect of helicopter flying, starting with instruction, is fantastically expensive in the UK?
Or told potential charter customers of the old adage
'Time to spare, go by air'?
(I happen to disagree with much of what Pat Malone has said in this discussion, but that's irrelevant.)