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zakthor zakthor is offline
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Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: beaux arts, wa
Posts: 1,401
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Quote:
Originally Posted by afterburn 549 View Post
The military has no problem with an AD. (Aircraft Directive, the Military has another name for them)
The civilian world? $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
It might get lost in the shuffle.
The trouble is in the AC world, the AD could be a twenty-cent item or a lot more zeros. The cost to fix it is not even considered, just mandated by the NTSB or manufacturer..
Go price a M/R rotor blade...or a T/B
The Blades were twenty grand for our little Hiller, and that's cheap by helicopter standards!

https://www.aero-access.com/catalog/product.aspx?product_id=26895

https://airwork.com.au/bell-206-rotor-blades/
With most helicopters, the blades (as most parts) are time-in-use contingent (TBO) and are due for overhaul @ specified time schedule or even calendar date. At the specified hours limit, these are removed and new or sometimes rebuilt installed.
Helicopters are a box or rented parts, all stacked neatly in one place. One just thinks they own it.
Next-
A slight dent in the wrong spot, slight damage, or the dreaded TBO in the mail can render the blade(s) useless.
Or a bolt is told to be replaced, but its inside the engine .....


Where did that envelope go?
Maybe 'helicopter tour company' is like bike shops: there's a bunch of people that really want to be in the business so they're over-optimistic about the finances. Which means thats its a race to the bottom for profit.

At least with a bike shop people don't die when they start cutting corners to shore up the cash.
Old 06-09-2025, 06:41 AM
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