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Old 5th Nov 2005, 19:16
  #263 (permalink)  
PANews
 
Join Date: Dec 1999
Location: Waltham Abbey, Essex, UK
Age: 77
Posts: 1,174
Received 8 Likes on 4 Posts
Another bite. In fairness I could not just ignore it before or now.

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..... why do you keep stating the Annual on EHMS took 7 weeks?

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The aircraft went into Staverton in early August [the 8th if I recall correctly] and remained there until very late September. It went in with a stated intention of being there 7 week 'for an annual.'
Armed with that allegation and the surrounding furore I sat back and counted off my diary, personally checked the roof of the Royal London and news reports. I only went 'public' when the 7 weeks had expired - as the aircraft returned to service.

In the meantime I paid attention. I rang around. I acertained that NO ONE claimed to be able to undertake an Explorer annual in less than two weeks.

I asked a range of maintenance organisations what their times were and got a range of replies. Four days for an EC135 under favourable circumstances [they claim to have done it and I guess someone on this forum will be aware of the truth of that claim] but realistically a week for that and at least that for the 355/117 era machines. Yes, including the 145, its not new you know ....

All this I said.

The question I raised [and it is all still on line] was why 7 weeks? Especially as it appeared that another Explorer was in for a similar length of time. No one sent me a reply. I asked.

If you were 'personally involved with that check' you may well not be exactly independent.

No one has to read the rag. Most of it is no more than a compendium of emergency services news stories from around the World it is only the English audience from way west that has a twitch about the odd paragraphs that mention EXPLORER. One page in 28, if that. More than the aircraft truly deserves [for its market penetration] but still of interest.

Money? That is true I did not say how much. But then you have not posted your identity or your wage slip. You would find the answer destroyed your insinuation - but I am not going there anyway.

And why Macs? Why not one of the real, current, advertisers? Smoke screen?

At least they answered the maintenance questions and as a result got the positive Eurocopter viewpoint in print.
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