Maggie, Isaid nothing about the age nor "them being pieces of junk" because I believe neither of your statements are relevant. There are a myrade of machine, both plank and flig wing with a hell of a lot more years, hours and cycles on them
the the misaligned Sea pig.
Besides, i'm well over 50 and I stiil have at loeast 20 more years in me. Not as speedy as some but a hell of alot more dependable!!
I would suspect, based on my history with the Sea Pig and the mil, that the supply system would be the main culpurit in the decision not to rebuild the Dico Queen. I too have seen worst. specifically in the Sea Pig world rebuilt. However, the mil supply system is, to say the least, 30 years behind the times. For example, lets assume I'm in Shearwater and need a starter/generator. I know that CHC over at Halifax airport has 5 in stock and they are willing to lend one to me. Unfortunately, I can't go over, grap it and slap it on my Sea Pig. CHC MAY not be an approved vendor, plus, I'd have to go through our supply system to gert a replacement AND I'd have to have authorization from everybody and possibly the hanger janitor. I would not be able to replace the loaner unit from CHC for approximately 6 to 9 months. In the interim, CHC has a rash of Starter /gen snags and needs the loaner back. Since it was overhauled when they loaned it to me, I have to overhaul it to give it back. The mil's civie overhaul shop is in TO. By the time I got it back from O/H would be anywhere from 3 to 6 months, if not more! (It's a union shop by the way.) Ya think CHC would help me out again, if this had indeed happend? I think not.
By the time the Deck Flop queen was rebuilt, we'd probably have 5 or 6 S92's bouncing off the decks.
I have no qualms about the technical expertise of neither ex-mil drivers nor mechs. Neither do a heck of alot of operators, both plank and flingwing. I have been DOM, QA Manger, bush grunt and hanger S**T for a numer of companies. Not one of them has ever refused to have me back.
Again, the only thing wrong with the Sea Pig, other than it's utilization, aboard ship, is the electronics. 95% of the snags that keep it out of service is the avionics. Not the mechanical.
Based on my experience with the machine, I believe it has a good many years left in it as a civie log hauler, or heavy lift machine of any kind.
Of course I stiil maintain that the materials used in the Sea Pigs airframe construstion is much superior to the 'plastics" uswed in the later day throw-away machines!
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And of course, my experience is based on actually working on both types of machines, not on what is written by the totally uinknowing press. Your opinions are based on??
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