Robinson seems to be the helicopter of choice for mustering due to its simplicity and most maintenance organisations with any skill at all can maintain them. I recently had a discussion with a very experienced mustering pilot buying a new machine and the only reason he did not buy a H300 was because of the lack of skilled engineers to do the maintenance. The 300 is well suited to the harsh flying environment of mustering operations, there are no MR blade issues, no manovering limitations and well proven reliability. You can tell its built tough because you only have to log "skids off to skids on" time in the MR, not like the Robbo, where Frank makes you log "engine on to engine off" time in the MR. By only logging actualy flying time and charging engine time repesents approx 25% or better hourly rate you can achive from operating a 300 compaired to a R22. You can charge the same hourly rate but achieve a 25% better MR / hour income. This is a significant operational advantage, and a signifiacant lift to the bank ballance. There is an alternative to the Robinson, there just needs to be an effort made to get engineers interested in working an something else.
Last edited by Ag-Rotor; 4th Dec 2009 at 02:22.