R22 Delamination
Hey Bladewashout,
Great post, well put and some very good points. My anger comes for a number of reasons. Chiefly the excuses that have been used and the blame game reulting from previous accidents which we all are pretty confident have been caused by blade delaminations. Also, without divulging too much info, I have a very close relationship with someone who has trusted this machine with their life. This machine was extensively checked by the ATO, a competent engineer and, no-doubt, the student. What more could be done? This problem has existed for a long time now but no-one with the authority has chosen to be pro-active about a remedy. How often have you been frustrated by big companies who know about a safety issue but do nothing until someone is killed or maimed and then put on a big show of compassion and remedial action? All of this when acting on the obvious problem prior to an accident rather than making excuses or blaming others could have saved lives.
I don't fly them and never have, many of my friends, family and colleagues do, however. Your point about many other blades out there not delaminating may or may not be a little premature. Maybe we should wait and see after all the operators out there have checked their machines. I personally know of two more (R44s) which have been grounded due to signs of early stage delamination. In the meantime I shall try and take a leaf out of your book, your point was well made without anger or blame and I applaud you for it.
Helicopspeeder