RH,
bull$hit! i have not been on a job in years that a 500 would be able to compete with an astar in terms of efficiency. your argument is meaningless if you consider the large jobs that the clients i work for now (100 square miles or more sometimes at altitude too). how is it possible when an astar can carry heavier loads (read: more stuff)? an experienced astar driver can fly a longline pretty much just as well in an astar especially of you remove the doors, but then how would i know? i have only 2300 hrs of 500/530 time and 3000 hr+ of astar time doing the same types of work. most of that time is with a line.
maybe the shake blockers like the 500 because you can land it pretty much anywhere, but there has to be a reason why fewer and fewer operators are using the 500/530 and nobody uses the 600.
btw, i can read perfectly well and so can everyone else here so you stop lording that over us
FP