MD - All Not Good in Mesa

[Hughes500]

PA News you obviously have never worked in " big business" where it is survival of the fitest. LT might not be a saint but she is undoubltly more sucessful than you. Show me any boss of a big business who hasnt upset the apple cart and got rid of people and perhaps done dubious things for the sake of the bigger picture.From my point of view when Boeing owned the company I was given a lead time of 9 months for a main rotor driveshaft, under LT got one within a week. Can only speak as I find - parts support is way better than the other types I own or have anything to do with.
I would love MD to do well otherwise the industry will end up in a worse state with no competition.Sadly they probably wont which is a shame as some of their products blow the doors off the competition's machines dispite in some cases being neary 50 years old.

[lynx no more]

Attitude - big business

Her attitude may have something to do with her NOT winning the US military contract. She would have ruffled a few feathers in my regiment.

As for MD600 Drivers comment about me being a "them? or bitter"? I usually rise above baiting, or someone on a fishing exercise on this site, but in this case I'll respond. I was bitter with what I witnessed during my tour of Bosnia, but on this thread...nahhh.

MD/LT Oracle time;

1. Will LT (her that can do no wrong) sell the the popular 500/Littlebird line to Boeing, as they are the major players with the military, and dont go through management like MD's revolving door?

2. Will MD last another 12 months in the current civilain LT setup?
Why would a VP who joined from Bell jump ship after 5 months with LT? (2 questions there)

3. Will anyone in their right mind ever buy a new MD600N again? I noticed LT doesnt fly in one either! Will she start her daily commuting in one? nahh I very much doubt it.

4. Will the Turkish police widows of the "not so new MD600N" that crashed in strange circumstances, ever get compensation, after MD fought the widows claim in the states?

Finally if anyone is bitter, I bet its the poor widows and family members of the Turkish police MD600N crash over in Turkey. I didnt see LT going to Turkey to reasure them that they would be taken care of financially

[Hughes500]

Haven't the majority of 600 crashes been caused by engine failure ? In which case would the engine manufacture not carry some of the blame ?
I m not defending the 600 here, just curious as to whether the C47 is any good ?

[md 600 driver]

lynx

answer to question 3
yes i would if i could afford it but the dollar and the new price is higher than when i bought the last one,
i am hoping the border ones come up for sale cheap if you keep rubishing the 600 that may happen sooner hopefully

i sold my last one because i was offered more than i paid for it after 3 years and 700 hours later lovely machine fast, smooth, reliable,safe and a pilots machine like the gazelle i have now

[md 600 driver]

500
i think most accidents have been pilot error

cant realy say about engine failures but i had a engine out landing at cranfield i must have been 100 ft and 20-30 kts well in the h/v curve but it landed safely on a taxiway and no damage
the cause was foreign bodies in the HMU it was a growth of bacterior that had blocked the fuel .the 600 is a quiet helicopter but its erie when it goes totaly quiet although it must have only been seconds it seemed ages

[lynx no more]

lots for sale, but nobody wants them.

I'm sure the people who are trying to off load the ten or more 600N's for sale, will knock a bob or 2 off if you want a cheap one.
EthanW mentioned he knows that there are plenty about which havent sold for 2 years.
Bacteria in your HMU? Wasn't there also some foreign plastic bodies in the HMU on the Turkish police crash report? The same supposed "new police MD600N" which had parts on it that were years old?
Out of interest, are there any other MD600N's in Turkey?

Come on Lynne put your money where your mouth is,
lets see you start using one of those shiney MD600N's to do your daily commuting instead of that personal Exploder..........."that'l be the day"
I think I can hear her saying

[Flaxton Flyer]

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.....

[EthanW]

@Flaxton Flyer "What's the matter kids, didn't LT send you a Xmas card this year? Or are you just intimidated by powerful successful and VERY rich women?

Dry your snot-nosed little faces and man up!!" ...."which would benefit no-one apart from our garlic-eating chums at EC"

...and you wonder why an old geyzer like you wake up in a gutter with your head kicked in!... Nothing more irritating than some arrogant t&*(&r who thinks he is big chief just because he can fly a helicopter...wonder if you would call another grown man a snot nose little face if we were face to face in a pub?

[Flaxton Flyer]

Ethan - thanks for your input, I'll be sure to take it under advisement!

Big chief just because he can fly a helicopter? As this is a professional pilot's forum I assumed that everybody on here can fly a helicopter. You can...can't you?

FF

PS - When I wake up in the gutter, I'll be sure to say hello to your spelling and grammar.

[EthanW]

."As this is a professional pilot's forum I assumed that everybody on here can fly a helicopter. You can...can't you?"
Yes I do and have been for 22 years ... And since English is my third language I am sure you are good at writing fluent French or Dutch ..@Flaxton Flyer "despite English being your third language...congratulations - you've learnt how to insult people in a foreign tongue!" ..are you losing the plot ? As far as I can see it is you that did the insulting???....for calling your fellow aviators/pilots "snot nosed little faces or garlic eating chums ...sure shouts professional..Perhaps you should focus more on the "Professional" bit in the title and less on the "Pilot" bit.

Back on the topic of the thread..."Bitter people that wants to see MDH fail"...wrong.
People are bitter because we see MD failing..or more because some Monopoly playing private equity firm is fast destroying something we love...my first flight at age 5 was in the "egg shaped" helicopter and my childhood dreams were based on TV programs like 240Robert and MagnumPI...So am i bitter for not getting a xmas card from LT..no. Will she get on from me ..No

But then I don't get all funny because some woman tatooted a phoenix on the &*(&...and by saying " See boys, I am committed to MDH as I have tatooed a phoenix on my ^&^.. but I can't show you now as I am not going to lift my dress" sure instil confidence in the product...even less impressed when you say " give me the military contract and I will tatoo the MD logo on my other cheek".
....perhaps I'll just wait it out
EW





Ew

[Flaxton Flyer]

Yes I do and have been for 22 years ... And since English is my third language I am sure you are good at writing fluent French or Dutch ...Perhaps you should get out of Black pudding land to realise not everybody else has a snot nose or wear a skirt!
Ew

Oh no..English is your third language? Now I feel bad, insulting your grammar and spelling makes me feel like I've just kicked a three-legged kitten down the stairs.

However, despite English being your third language...congratulations - you've learnt how to insult people in a foreign tongue!

But...fluent French and Dutch??? Come on, why would I waste my time learning two languages that nobody uses?

Oh 'ecky thump..I've just dropped my snot-covered black pudding on my skirt. I'll have to get one of the servants to lick it off.

I'll sithee, 'T Big Chief

[md 600 driver]

i like the 600 but if i had the option to go to work in a 900 i would take the 900 or the 135 or 355 or 109
there are other 600s in turkey owned by the police AFAIK they bought 6
there are lots of other makes of helicopters that have not sold for 2 years it does not mean they are giving them away

english is my second language after yorkshire ,in yorkshire we even have our own translatation of the bible [sounds better in audio ]

EXODUS 5
Then comes exciting bit see. They all marched off and went to see Pharaoh. And they told him straight.
"We come wi' a message from Jehovah, God of Israel! And He says, Let my people go cos they've got to go art and mek a sacrifice int desert like."
"Is that so!" Pharaoh says. He weren't much bothered by all this lot. "And who's this Jehovah bloke that I should listen to him eh? I don't know nobody called Jehovah and I'll not let people of Israel go anywhere neither."
But Aaron and Moses kept on at him.
"God of Israel met us," they said.
"Oh ah," says Pharaoh. "Where?"
"In a bush."
"In a bush!" Pharaoh says, and he has a job on not to laugh. "Tha's telling me tha's got a God what hangs abart in a bush?"
"Aye, well, but that's not important. We've got to tek a three day trip into wilderness and mek a sacrifice to God. If we don't obey we're in big bother."
Well Pharaoh weren't having none of this.
"Get thi sen off back to work! Who does tha think tha's kiddin wi' all this Jehovah stuff."
And as soon as they'd gone Pharaoh tells his task masters to mek Israelis really sweat and mek 'em work twice as hard as normal.
"They must have nowt to do or they wouldn't be goin on abart daft things like goin art to wilderness to mek sacrifices. Don't give 'em any more straw for bricks but mek sure they come up wi' right quota. That'll keep 'em occupied. That'll teach 'em to listen to them trouble makers Aaron and Moses."
Well over next few days them Egyptians gave Hebrews a right pasting. They were whipping 'em and hitting 'em and shouting abart quotas all time.
"Tha's got to mek same number of bricks as before!" they shouted. "But tha's getting no more straw so it's just tough intit luv."
And it got so bad as foremen went to see Pharaoh.
"Tha can't keep treating us like this," they said. "We ant got no straw so we can't mek same number of bricks and then them taskmaster blokes lay into us wi' whips and stuff. It int right."
And Pharaoh says,
"Well that's just tough luck me old luv," he says dead smarmy. "Tha can't have enough to do or tha wouldn't be on abart daft things like goin to desert to mek a sacrifice. Nar get this sen off afore I lose me temper."
Then when foremen saw Moses and Aaron they had narks on and they set abart 'em.
"Tha's a right daft chuff thee," they said. "Tha's dropped us right in it wi' Pharaoh goin an abart goin to mek a sacrifice. Tha's give him excuse to kill all job lot on us."
Nar Moses were a bit upset abart this, as tha would be, and he has a chat wi' God again.
"Nar then," says Moses. "What's tha go and send me here for if tha's goin to do nowt? How can tha treat thi own folk like this? It int right. There weren't no point sending me here int first place. Since I've gone and told Pharaoh what tha said he's bin like a bear wi' a sore bum. There's folk getting beat up every day and tha's done nowt."
But God weren't bothered by all this cos He had a plan and He knew what He were doing. And when God's got a plan tha'd best watch thi sen.

[Flaxton Flyer]

Ethan, my friend...

So far the only person who seems to have been insulted is you. And I don't really know why, because as you weren't even one of the posters whining on about LT, your little face should have been snot-free!

Just to be clear, I don't have favourites - I also hope to have insulted Yorkshiremen with the "whippets and black pudding" comments.

But I don't hear MD600 complaining, calling me an "arrogant to%%er" or threatening to kick my head in and leave me unconscious in a gutter!

Perhaps that's because he understands that I don't really think he has a flat cap and a whippet. Or that my fellow pilots actually do have snot running down their faces from crying about not receiving an Xmas card from LT.

I'l explain it to you, shall I? In the UK it's known as banter. I expect to get harrassed and abused in return in a similar fashion, that's the nature of the beast. Unfortunately, "Arrogant to$$er" et al doesn't really count as banter, mon brave.

Perhaps it's just a foreigner thing? CAUTION - BANTER ALERT Are there any French or Dutch pilot websites you could move to where the nuances of the language wouldn't prove so much a problem for you? END BANTER

[EthanW]

Flaxton Flyer..Mr C is it? Your condescending tone is what offends me.."little face" ... "garlic eating chums" Even though I have never kicked another human being in the head..less a three legged cat down the stairs....Banter Alert ..perhaps you should call your magazine not LT news but 6&^*& news...Then you could pose for the cover picture...maybe while eating some of your dried pigs blood pudding...Banter ends.

I have spoken to LT twice in the past year..Feb 2010 and Nov 2010...my opinion of her has not changed...should I even get worked up over what is happening
at MDHi probably not esp being a "garlic chum" flyer ..but should I abandon my plan of buying an MD600..already did!
ew

ps. And on that note FlaxtonFlyer I add my apology for getting worked up over your tone..after all it is has no impact on my daily life and I already regret the time I wasted on it.

[Hughes500]

EthanW
Have you flown a 600 ?
What was it like ?

[wright123]

Better than Father Ted!

Been offline for a couple of days and just read the latest on the MD / LT debate, and its been veering a bit off course with all this Yorkshire banter!

I've flown a 600N and found it a bit vague on the pedals, and wouldnt buy one if I had the choice. Also grew up watching 240 Robert and Magnum and do think MD have a good a/c in the 500.

Its nowt to do with languages or what you can fly, every time I see a pic of LT I start thinking of Father Jack!!! it must be the long duties I'm doing I know

I'm taking odds on the boeing lot taking over at 2/1,
or the teflon don man (Joep) sending his chap Henk back to sort LT out
at 10/1

[Flaxton Flyer]

Ethan - you didn't like my condescending tone
and I didn't like your aggresive tone but that's life, eh?
Different strokes for different folks.

As for the magazine...I'm happy to do the front
cover eating b.p. if you do the back cover wearing
beret and stripey jumper , riding a bicycle with onions
on the handlebars and eating cheese. LT can do the
centrespread and PAN can publish it. Deal?

In the meantime, happy flying whatever heli you
decide to fly. I'm sticking with the 902 of course.
(Although the Bell 222 is still my first love)

FF

[EthanW]

That sounds good to me

[500e]

It all sounds sad to me

[PANews]

Send me the pictures...... I got a selection for page 3.... sorry centre spread...