sox,
It was not presented as an excuse, rather as an observation of what happens when a new aircraft hits the road.
How else would you propose that the hours of flying and the input of the techs is gained?? Helicopters are already so expensive, now we should get the manufacturers to supply and fly them for free until they have all the bugs ironed out???
Similarly, GM should drive thousands of cars for years before they sell them.....
I am not looking to start a bunfight here, sox, rather I am trying to illustrate the difficulties faced by the manufacturers who build this equipment. Like Nick said, he does not know which pipes they were.
They could be in a completely different place because the operator in Norway is flying in different climatic conditions to the GOM and the stresses on the airframes would be different. Just like the 92's flying in Malaysia and Aberdeen will be different to the first one that goes to Australia.