Dear Froggy
Thanks Spinwing and 500e for the support. It is people like you who make it worthwhile for me to post on this forum.
Yes Froggy, I do occasionally teach. Passing on 38 years experience in composites and adhesive bonding is the best way of improving safety standards in the aviation composites and adhesive bonding industry, particularly when I can personally claim to have reduced the repeat repair rate for composites and adhesive bonded repairs at one major repair facility from 43% to less than 0.17%. That is why I bother to post in this forum, particularly when I get such offensive responses as yours.
However, I do not just teach. I have written a military engineering standard and two handbooks on repair design and application technology. I have also written a reference document for the FAA. If you bother to look up DOT/FAA/AR – TN06/57, Apr 2007 BEST PRACTICE IN ADHESIVE BONDED STRUCTURES AND REPAIRS, (you will find it in the FAA Tech Center Library) you may find out who I am. You might even learn something about the paucity of OEM repair procedures that you so stridently defend.
The reason why I do not work for a manufacturer is that I am effectively retired and selectively consult on my specialisation. I have been known also to provide free advise to those who show an interest in learning.
In my spare time I nag the FAA about deficiencies in regulations that are intended to make your helicopter safe, but in reality fail to address a primary safety issue. This nagging has resulted in changes to the FAA Advisory Circular AC20-107. These changes do not go far enough and really are a poor substitute for a rule change, but at least it is the first step in making pilots like you safe.
So Froggy, I suggest that you try a bit of advice: If you are going to shoot yourself in the foot, take it out of your mouth first.
If you can be bothered, mine will be a Cabernet Merlot.
Regards
Blakmax