Does Sikorsky care about its customers ?

[Hughes500]

From those in the know is Sikorsky's spares support normally bad ?
I run threee schweizers just asked for 30 items for a couple of annual inspections coming up, here are the lead times
1.tailboom after 4 weeks factory comes back with 75 day lead time
2.M/R drive shaft they have no idea when one is available
3.M/R chip detection kit no idea of a lead time
about another 10 items they either cant give a lead time or it is 10 to 40 days

When I complained to the factory got a reply and promised communication, then to be told the contact was going away on holiday, 10 days later still havent heard a thing.
Is this what I have to put up with now ? Just like to know, if this is the support given will be changing manufacturers.:ugh:
Thanks in advance

[FLY 7]

I hope they do pull their finger out as I'm 'piggy backing' your order.

Probably not unique to Sikorsky/Schweizer though. Why do so many helicopter companies treat their customers so poorly?

I ran a 269C for several years - lovely helicopter and no issues, but got the few parts I needed from Ed Brown at Helimart. Great helicopters and, as you know, now buying another, so I hope parts support is not an issue.

What we lack in the UK is a first class Sikorsky/Schweizer Agent. In fact, I don't even know who the UK Agent is :confused:

[OvertHawk]

If that's what you're getting - be grateful for it and don't switch to Eurocopter! :(

[Hughes500]

Guys and Gals are others having problems Sikorsky's lack of customer support ?
Have been trying for 4 months to get updates from them for S 300's to no avail !
Just discovered that They have put up their prices something terrible, TR pitch link , last year of Schweizer $ 360 now $ 1275 !!!!!!! not a bad mark up.
As for lead times they are talking the next millennium for some parts

Can anyone PM me with the last couple of FM updates please:ugh::ugh:

[Sir Korsky]

Try ordering a D

[500e]

Seems you have found the famed SK light helicopter customer service :{:{

[vaqueroaero]

You are not alone. A local flight school is looking at selling all their 300's and going over to Enstroms.

It would appear that Sikorsky has decided to essentially abandon the 300 line. Sad really.

[Reely340]

They just need planning :E Head of nearby FTO ordered the MR shaft one year in advace. Some months in, not getting any advance delivery notification he fired up some overseas lawyer (dunno what for, threatening them :mad: maybe) and voilá the shaft appeared right when the 300C needed it, e.g. 12 months after ordering.:ugh:

We customers wouldn't notice any significant downtime, maybe a week to do the replacement. As he operates two of them we could lease on happily.

Apparently one needs some legal support with Lycoming, too. Inferior post overhaul engine is back to the States for proper overhaul this time.

Together with what I hear here in Rotorheads about EC my picture of small enterprises owning only a couple smaller machines is they are getting screwed by their suppliers as if they were a nuissance.

Personally I don't really understand why for instance Sikrorsky bought the Schweizer line when they don't really want to attend to it.

[Sir Niall Dementia]

Sir Korsky;


Spot on!! A visit to Coatesville will depress you more than you can imagine. Airbus/EC may charge like a wounded rhino, but at least the parts arrive/the aircraft are certified on time (not three years late)/ the aircraft will be delivered very close to the date they give you when you sign the purchase contract.


God knows what happened to Sikorsky, but they are in a serious muddle now.


SND

[Chris P Bacon]

Didnt the Saudi Border Guard recently return their fleet of 434's to Sikorsky due to poor support. Also, several Euopean operators have 333's retired, gathering dust and unsellable.

[mdovey]

Is it just the ranges Sikorsky acquired from Schwiezer where there are support issues, or is it across the entire Sikorsky range?

Matthew

[helispeediii]

sad aint it good little machine,ruined by bad management , bring back howard helispeediii:{

[Darren999]

As mentioned above I can't see it getting any better. I hope someone buys the type certificate and carries this aircraft on. rumours chinese are interested.
Sikorsky really didn't want the small helicopter from schwizer....

Apart from parts that have been mentioned pretty much should be able to get the other items, and yes they have escalated as the old places that made the parts stopped as sikorsky only paid every 60 days, they couldn't live waiting that long. Now there isn't the places making, for instance, drive shafts and blades.

[500e]

D999
60 days we should be so lucky most of the people we supply are 90 to 120 days with a month off for Christmas :{
At leas we aren't Canadians

[FSXPilot]

They didn not buy schweizer for the 269s. They have so far shown little enthusiasm for supporting the product and I would steer well clear of them.

[Lonewolf_50]

Darren:
What if the rumors from a decade ago are coming true?
I refer to the long running "consolidation of the rotary wing industry" talk wherein there are one too many rotary wing aircraft manufacturers in the country. (See also what happened to American Motors a while back).
If that is true, what you are seeing might make strategic sense in the longer term.
What if ... Sikorsky is going to merge with Bell sometime soon? (No, I have zero insider info, and am guessing here).
At that point, all of the light helicopters they need are now in their product list, and the S300 becomes a liability.

Sorry for topic drift, but I cannot fathom why a company in the tough, competitive business environment of the year 2014 would dis some of their customers.

[terminus mos]

The money is in 92s, nothing in the tiddlers. Sikorsky only bought Schweizer for its production facilities at the time to do Black Hawk completion work.

[Sir Korsky]

And for its engineers and drone technology I understand.

[IFMU]

Sir Korsky,
Considering that the Schweizer MQ8B has been supplanted by the Bell MQ8C, and that they closed the Schweizer facility, it would seem those two reasons did not pan out.
Bryan

Edit: Sikorsky listed the reasons why they bought Schweizer in this 2004 announcement. Rapid prototyping was also one of the reasons. Remember they built X2 there. It would seem they started out with good intentions in the light helicopter market.
http://www.sikorsky.com/About+Sikorsky/News/Press+Details?pressvcmid=d0dda96c2e289110VgnVCM1000001382000 aRCRD

[Lonewolf_50]

Thanks, IFMU, for the insights. :ok:

[IFMU]

terminus mos,
Sikorsky added manufacturing space for the hawks. It is mentioned here:
Sikorsky opens HAWK WORKS completion center for military helicopters (http://www.sikorsky.com/About+Sikorsky/News/Press+Details?pressvcmid=1a3fa96c2e289110VgnVCM1000001382000 aRCRD)

I can find no reference as to whether they planned that all along or had the idea to do hawk completions there later.

Lonewolf_50, no problem!
Bryan

[heli1]

And the Hawk Works didn't work out too well either. It seems when they moved the Schweizer work to Coatesville a lot of the old workforce stayed put and also they found they were losing money on every one built. Big company...bigger overheads I guess.

[Spunk]

Is it just me or did Sikorsky step up to next level to get rid of the few ex Schweizer customers that are still hanging in there?

Three ASBs within 6 months for a type that has been built for almost 60 years? Reading all those bulletins (and being affected by them) I suggest to withdraw the type certificate for safety reasons. How could we dare to fly those things?

-:ugh::{

[Hughes500]

Spunk
The real laugh of it is Sikorsky don't even have the courtesy of returning e mails or phone calls. In 30 years of running business's (not just aviation )and working for some of the largest food and drink retailers I have never come across such an unprofessional and darn right rude and incompetent company. I would love to know how an earth they survive, is it just money from the Blackhawk and grossly overcharging the US Govt ! How can a pitch link be $ 1300 the exact same thing from MD for their 500c models cost less than athird of that! Only 2 conclusions is that Skiorsky are either taking the piss or can't get something simple made at a sensible price
:ugh: doesn't even cover it

[500e]

Think how you would feel if you were Canadian :{
Now after me deep breath
http://s3-ec.buzzfed.com/static/2014-04/enhanced/webdr08/22/7/anigif_enhanced-4467-1398165063-19.gif

[Hughes500]

500E One positive though as I have $ 800k's worth of parts I assume they must have gone up in price hugely if pitch links are anything to go by !

[HeliHenri]

.

Out of topic

Nice to see the "500" brothers gathered for Christmas ! ;)

.

[500e]

Thanks Henri happy Xmass to you,Went to a Polish Christmas eve do last night, today am slightly second hand today, those Poles know how to party
Is it true that SK still have the specially ordered 300s rumor is there are no main shafts about:eek:
P.S
H500 it's little e :ok: & grampa is bored already

[The Sultan]

The joke was the Schweizer/Sikorsky MQ-8B would run out of gas as it could not overtake the launch ship if it was going in the same direction. Now NG and the Navy have a real system:

AaG2EDPVBqc

The Sultan

[chr]

hah Agusta is also specific with support you need to keep watching them with everything and they can reply you that ypur order is pending but they have no idea when it will be done :-) I have their respond like this and it was a matter regarding mandatory bulletin :)

[HeliHenri]

Hughes500
I would love to know how an earth they survive, is it just money from the Blackhawk and grossly overcharging the US Govt ! How can a pitch link be $ 1300 the exact same thing from MD for their 500c models cost less than athird of that! Only 2 conclusions is that Skiorsky are either taking the piss or can't get something simple made at a sensible price.

This one goes out to you Hughes500 ;) :

"Still, the company has commitments for aftermarket service for the 2,800 light rotorcraft in its installed base, Hunter says. Post-production services and maintenance on light helicopters netted Sikorsky $10 million in 2014, “a decent business for us”, Hunter says."
Dan Hunter, Sikorsky director of commercial programmes. HAI 2015

Sikorsky considers shuttering, selling light helicopter lines
?Sikorsky considers shuttering, selling light helicopter lines - 3/5/2015 - Flight Global (http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/sikorsky-considers-shuttering-selling-light-helicopter-409816/)

[rotornut]

Getting back to the 300 series for a moment try this outfit for parts:
AOG Heliservices (http://www.aogheliservices.com/)

[Hughes500]

HH

Thankfully I have $800k of 300 spares in stock so not really worried what they do short term. Would love the classic helicopter to continue as it is still a wonderful training platform

[500e]

Good company speak :hmm: "Still, the company has commitments for aftermarket service for the 2,800 light rotorcraft" :{
No one answered my Christmas question regarding main shafts

[Hughes500]

Just been allowed on to Sikorsky 360 has only taken 5 years. The only reason they didn't like my e mail address !! Thank God for common sense

[Darren999]

If any one else has had problems with their email addresses not working. Please re submit your applications. As mentioned above things have change, hopefully, for the better for the time being....
Darren