From: "Marvin Kaye" <marv@lancaironline.net>
Subject: Re: [LML] Re: Blue Mountain Avionics
To: lml
Date: Mon, 13 Oct 2003 07:52:51 -0400
Message-ID: <web-2634831@logan.com>
In-Reply-To: <MJEEIJOLAHCDLGFIJJEBKEDLCIAA.2thman@olympus.net>
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Posted for "John Barrett" <2thman@olympus.net>:

Hamid,

I don't think we're doing anyone any good by continuing to insinuate
negative connotations about Blue Mountain or anyone else unless we have
firsthand information.  Your critical response seems to be based on
secondhand information reported by Jerry Fisher yet you don't offer any
firsthand knowledge of your own to help us with.  I quote his email here:

"I went to their facility and spent the best part
of a day with Malcolm Thompson reviewing what they have done.  Their
equipment appears well designed and constructed (and I work for a military
avionics company).  It has been flying in a wide variety of aircraft without
any major failures coming to light.  Since I believe that their production
rate may be comparable to Chelton's, this is not an insignificant factor."

You appear to have assumed that the BMA guy said what was written in the
third sentence of the paragraph.  You also appear to believe that he said
what is in the fourth sentence of the paragraph.  I don't know this is
reasonable from what is quoted here.  One or both of these comments may or
may not have come from BMA even though they were expressed by Jerry Fisher
in the same paragraph where he mentions the BMA rep.  Even if Mr. Fisher was
quoting the BMA rep, isn't it possible he did so mistakenly and could have
got his uncorroborated information elsewhere?

I think it would be reasonable and appropriate to ask Mr. Fisher where he
got those two premises, but I repeat that I don't think it serves anyone to
jump to conclusions and use that as criticism of a new product.  I agree
with you that the notion BMA has comparable production to Chelton is pretty
unlikely - but maybe he's not including SFS before Chelton and maybe BMA has
sold a bunch of units that aren't flying yet.  I also haven't heard of lots
of aircraft flying with BMA EFIS, but I'd be inclined to just ask Jerry
where he got this information and where are these aircraft.

I'd admonish us all to think about our own inclination to make assumptions
when we have low opinion of a product or person, and resist the urge to
substitute same for logic in a reflexive response.

Bambi's mother wasn't all wrong when she said "if you can't say nothin'
nice -- don't say nothin' at all"

If you've got first hand information --- such as "I flew an airplane with
this product in it and it was a disaster"  then, by all means, give us the
details.

Oh, by the way, Jerry Fisher, please enlighten us.  Where DID your
information come from about the numbers of BMA EFIS units flying and the
comparison of those numbers with CFS?  Who are the guys flying with those
BMA EFIS units?  Please answer up so maybe I can mend the blanket with my ex
friend Hamid.

Respectfully,

John Barrett