JB
Over 90% of all light helicopter accidents, fatal or otherwise, are due to pilot error.
End of.
It strikes me that Robinson haters fall into 3 categories:
1 People who've never flown them and keep repeating something they once heard.
2 People who've flown them and struggle. Let's not call them "pilots".
3 People who've only ever flown much heavier and more expensive machinery, normally supplied by A N Other-Deeppockets or the taxpayer.
For those of us who adore them and have over 3000hrs experience in actually paying the bills by doing successful work, these 3 groups are to be ignored.
I'm not sure I 'adore' them, but very well said. Robinson products are built to a budget and appeal to a lot of private owners and training schools because they're more affordable than most other helicopters. As a result, they also tend be flown more by low-timers than other types and, at the risk of getting flamed, most of the owners I've met are 'type A' entrepreneurs and successful in their own industry.
Robinson helicopters are not dangerous per se or they wouldn't have approval to leave the ground, but given the above, it's not surprising that there may be proportionately more accidents in Robinsons than other types. I've lost several mates over the years flying in AS355, AS350, SA341, B206, R44 or R22. Only one accident was definitely not due to pilot error (the twin); the others either certainly were, or almost certainly were.
Without exception, every individual I know who
enjoys criticising Robinson products have big egos, small dicks and an empty bank account, yet seem determined to behave as though the exact opposite was true. Is that the definition of a snob or just an inferiority complex?!