In general I enjoy reading and contributing to PPRuNe because lets face it, pilots love to talk about flying or just love to talk.......
I do however seriously dislike some aspects of the network, specifically the idle speculation and gossip in relation to the financial affairs of certain FTO's which appears with frightening regularity. Virtually all of this speculation is offered in public without any substantiation or proof. Comments like ' I know what I saw' or 'heard from a reliable source' do not, in my opinion, warrant a post. They only serve to create an image of a group of gossiping busybodies with little else to do.
Has anyone noticed that the vast majority of the more active members who contribute imeasurably on interesting aviation topics are conspicous in their absence from these less factual debates.
Before anyone reminds me that this is a rumour network let me save you the time. I am fully aware of that and rumour is both productive and informative when it is directed at aviation issues such as ' Piper are rumoured to be tooling up for a relaunch of the PA 38 incorporating a 300 HP engine'. It may or may not be true but it does stimulate some great debate.
On the other hand those rumours which question the viability of a business, and are advanced without proof, only serve to threaten the future of that business, it's employees and customers. It is disinformation of the worst kind. Some use the defence that they are merely trying to warn others before committing funds to training etc and this is admirable, but only if you are in possession of hard evidence.
So if anyone saw a ruck of aeroplanes at a London airfield with their props tied up the other week they were all mirages....
There are so many things wrong with this statement. Why would you jump to conclusions without knowing the reason why. You are also speculating that others reached the same conclusion as you did. An assumption is made that the aircraft have been seized perhaps. But it is exactly that, an assumption, and the true reason could be entirely different.
Moreover, to jeopardise a perfectly healthy business based on a casual observation is irresponsible in the extreme.
Hopefully with some proactive moderation we will see less of this in the future.