Skeeters grounded for good?!

There’s also apparently an issue with the fatigue life of components in the rotor and gearbox systems. Apparently there are no surviving records of any testing of these components at the factory and it is simply too costly to test them now.

Given that a gearbox or rotor failure is considered as creating “a bad day” for helicopter pilots, the CAA has suspended all permits to fly for the type. 🙁

The trouble with rare helicopters is once the finite rotor supply is gone the costs to reproduce them would be huge.

There’s a short article in the new Pilot magazine. Something to do with internal corrosion within the steel tube which forms the main spar of the main rotor blades. Seems likely that the CAA will have issued a Mandatory Permit Directive to give effect to the restriction, although I have not checked their website myself (in CAP 662 I think).

It would be a shame as I probably saw everyone that was built at the factory. Cannot find any information about the grounding and it would seem that there is only one left in flying condition. The Helicopter Museum would probably have the latest information.:)