Nice posting Marc. Well done!
I'm really glad to see that since you've "been sitting on the sideline", you have mellowed and have accepted the success of the Huey, as if I remember correctly, you were one of the fierce critics of the Huey initially, labelling it as an "accident waiting to happen" etc. Amazing is'nt it, what a change of environment does. No poisening from the V&A Operators no more. Good one!
Safe flying comes from sound training and the right attitude. Now the question I want to post is; Why has the Huey during its two years of operation not killed anyone? Was it due to sound training of the crew and their professional attitude in dealing with the "millions of failures and mishaps", or was it simply good luck? What has kept it going and kept it a premier draw card to the Waterfront? I would love to know the answer.
Furthermore, TWOMEMBER goes on to slate everything he can think of, from Gary's "corruptive business dealings" to everything bad he can think of regarding the Huey. Logs, bogus parts, poorly qualified personnel, etc. If one has to believe this joker, then one must accept that the Huey should never have flown, and that Gary should long ago have been behind bars. So how does one distinguish here between what is really right and wrong? If TWOMEMBER is an "innocent spectator", why is he trying to act like a professional.... pilot, engineer, lawyer, inspector, policeman et al? I mean, this joker should be a highly paid "master of all". He's even quoting Manufacturers data on Grips & TT straps. Man! This Einstein is good!
My Huey membership number is below 100 and I'm a life long member, so I was one of the first bunch to join, and I can assure you, as an enthusiast, I was very much part of the original scene, and up to now I have always fiercely defended the Huey operation because I believe in it. I know that the CAA inspected the machine initially, and was satisfied enough to issue it with a C of A. Maybe its true that the CAA did not handle the Huey issue correctly from the beginning, but in spite of all of that, for 18 months they had NO objection to the flying of the Huey, by whom it was flown, by whom it was maintained, and what kind of work it did. They were so happy with the Huey that on 23 July 2003, they even issued it with A Commercial C of A, hand delivered by the CAA official to the Huey's offices! So where did the sudden change come from? From poison parties like Elvis, who in one day made in excess of 50 calls to the CAA to complain about the Huey. His helicopter business was going broke due to the success of the Huey, and he had to do something to stop it. So he got the likes of Rotorhead and TWOMEMBER to start the malicious rumours about the Huey, with which they have actually had NO success with. The result? Elvis had to sell his Taxi Business to finance his Court battles and to keep his helicopter business in the Waterfront afloat.
The Huey people, on the other hand, believed in what they were doing was legitimate, went to the Supreme Court, and won. Three times! This in spite the numerous fabrications by Elvis and his cronies.
Maybe you're right about Dave Mouton. Maybe he did inspect the helicopter's documents, and yes, maybe he did find them to be in order. Surely, if he found them to be in order, then they MUST HAVE BEEN IN ORDER huh? Maybe Dave can tell us enthusiast a bit more as to what actually happened and what was the cause of the "forced landing"? Then we can hear it from the horse's mouth.
All machinery has a chance of failing, and surely the Huey should be no exception. I mean, the thing works mechanically and anything mechanical are prone to failures, especially when you least expect it. So is the huge hoo haa about the Huey's alledged engine failure really justified? In actual fact, are all the hoo haa about the Huey really justified, or must one accept that there will always be jealous critics out there ready to fabricate some sort of "fairytale"?
It will be a real shame if the Huey should leave the Cape Town skies under this cloud, and I hope that Gary will sort out this mess, and get the Huey up and running again.
Lets see!