Surveys
Looking again at an MD500. Hughes500 is persuasive, as is flying one. It is maintained at skytech. Skytech is highly recommended by several as the best place to go for a survey of an MD500. It has an annual due soon. If skytech is trusted as the place to go to maintain/do a survey does it make sense to ask someone else to check their work? Does it make sense for them to survey their own aircraft? Should I just get it with a fresh annual from them? In the past I have bought 4 fixed wing aircraft without surveys having been satisfied the existing maintenance people looked reasonable and not regretted it, and had surveys done on 2 boats which didn't tell me anything useful they might have done. It's relatively low hours, not like say an old Augusta bell which might have an unholy mix of components lurking to surprise. Also checking out an R66 tomorrow and an EN480 for comparison - if you don't hear again from me, look in the AAIB.