Hmmmm....I wonder how many of the critics are experts in every facet of aviation/rotary wing subjects and how many offered their services to the media as commentators because they felt they could do a better job than JF ?
I doubt many of us who have posted here are experts in every facet of aviation, and in my time on the professional side of aviation, every company bar one had a specific section in my T&C's, no unauthorised talking to 'media', from the days of scribblers and snapper to todays social networking. I bet that most of the 'pro' community from whatever field (mines not flying) have that same or similar clause.
Well now's your chance because you can be sure the newspapers ,tv.and radio will be looking for "expert" comment immediately following the next air accident or other newsworthy story.
See above re T&C's. I do however occasionally do free lance scribbling and snapping for newspapers and mags and local and national level.
Who is clever enough not to be trapped into giving them what they are after a sensationalist story?
That's easy, all you have to say is I can't answer that without further research, and I'm not prepared to speculate. You won't get asked back though. Where the wheels come off is when the talking head carries on. My only experience/knowledge of JF was seeing him on a number of telly interviews, where even for me as a heli specific industry outsider, it was clear on those occasions he was to put it politely, 'making it up' as he went along. I'm happy to acknowledge he may have written and provided good copy over the years and was a really nice bloke, but his appearances on TV didn't give me that assurance, least of all on the London accident.
Who out of the posters in this thread is going to volunteer first?
Last year based on his knowledge of my experience and that he knows me as an acquaintance, one of the regular contemporary BBC news reporters asked if I would be prepared to be an 'expert' for them on aviation. Contractual issues aside, I still said no thank you, as even with over 25 years 'in the game', I don't consider myself an expert, even in my own fields, I'm always learning.