PAN..
did read the 116 I missed after I replied [that I guess is retro investigation!] and they do show your flavour of preference... you know a little to much about the MD product to be a person without a preference
Well I can't argue with that as the 902 is my daily driver, and has been for the last 5 years+!. Apart from a shortage of flexbeams some years ago, I can honestly say that downtime has been minimal and support from both PAS and MD has been exemplary, despite all the wailing from the doom-mongers.
Of course I know as well as anybody the ups and downs at Mesa, but I have never been an apologist for the company which is why I took exception to your “You have supported MD to the end of the road and beyond..... and have faithfully knocked everyone that suggested all was not rosy in the garden” comments.
I have supported - and will continue to support until circumstances and personal experience dictate otherwise - the 902, because it is a cracking machine. LT is big and scary enough to look after herself, as you rightly point out.
Yes, I do knock the 135 from time to time, but only as a wind-up - I know deep down that if the 902 didn't exist it would be the best aircraft in that sector..
However, there seems to be too many people on here who are just waiting for MD to fail, so they can smugly say "see - told you so!". I can't understand that. It also seems to be open season on LT for some of Pprune's keyboard warriors who seem determined to rubbish her in some kind of sad points-scoring mission.
My view - rightly or wrongly - is that, although MD is far from perfect, without LT it could easily have gone to the wall, which would benefit no-one apart from our chums at EC.
And to be perfectly honest, all I want is for MD to soldier on for just over 5 years and then I can slip happily into retirement in, as you rightly, assumed, God's Own Country with my whippets and black pudding.
Who knows, I may even start my own magazine! "LT News" has a nice ring to it.....