Re: AD #111 on Brantly blades 

Docket# FAA-2012-1013 

Directorate identifier 2011-SW-020-AD 

Document# 2012-25444 

Dear Sir(s), 

I am enclosing a letter that was sent to Kyle Hardiman, then president of Brantly Helicopters, Inc., when the 

service letter came out on Service Bulletin #111 in May of 2011. 

There isn't any logical reason to include the Brantly 248-101 or Brantly 248-202 blades in this AD. The Brantly 

248-404 Blades are the problem, not the 101 or 202 series of blades. The only reason a 101 or 202 blade gets cracks is 

the lack of maintenance, bad inboard bearings, bad dampners or rotor system out of phase. All Brantly blades are 

tabbed on the last 18" of the blade to get cyclic pressures correct or to cure a climbing or diving blade using a tool to 

slightly bend the trailing edge of the blade skin. This has been the common practice for SO years. 

The companies that do the Eddy Current testing do not believe that it can be done successfully, because of the 

closeness of the rivets in the blade spar area. Some su~gest that it would be destructive testing, meaning it would 

destroy the blade itself. 

The 101 and 202 blades have been good blades for over SO years. Why kill something that has been working 

fine? Since Brantly moved to China in December 2009, we have had no factory support on any parts. There are only a 

few 248-202 used blades that are available that are airworthy at this time. The AD would put all Brantly owners out of 

business to have an aircraft that can't comply with this AD, have no support from the factory in China, and new blades 

that don't exist anywhere. 

As I said before, there's no logical reason to include the Brantly 248-101 or 248-202 blades in this AD. The 

problem is the 248-404 blades. If the FAA wants to put out an AD on the 248-404 blades, they have my blessing and 

support. 

Thank you, 

~ '1/JJI/, _, 1~/6--:J-CJ/5 Gary Goldsb~ 

P.S. If you need any more information, feel free to contact me at: 

Gary Goldsberry 

1181 W. State Road 42 

Mooresville, IN 46158 

317-996-2487 or Cell317-691-9987 

gsgold@ccrtc.com 
.... 

Kyle Hardman, President 

Brantly International, Inc. 

Re: Service Bulletin #111 

I have to strongly disagree with Service Bulletin #111. I have been a Brantly owner for 35 years. I have 

sold 26 Brantly s in the past 35 years. I have 6 Brantly B2B's and one 305 Brantly all in flying condition 

and airworthy. I purchased a large inventory of Brantly parts, when I found out the company as moving 

to China in 2009. I'm also a Flight Instructor CFI in helicopters. 

I'm not sure where you or whoever wrote the Service Letter are getting your information. I don't know 

of any blade delaminations in the 101 or 202 blades. There have been several in the factory 404 blades. 

Cracks in the 101 or 202 rotor blades are caused by bad inboard bearings, bad dampners or the old 

aluminum style dampner brackets. Not the blades. 

We maintain 6- 7 other Brantly B2Bs in the Midwest and there haven't been any problems with blade 

delamination. I have in my possession Brantly B2B N9023Z SN 2021 that had 2 separate times when 

the blades delaminated, first on 8-20-2002. Brantly had furnished 3 used 404 blades, total time on 

aircraft and blades was 200.0. On 12-30-2003 the 404 blades were replaced by 404 blades with 324.6 

hours total time aircraft, again furnished by Brantly Helicopter, Inc. I have all the serial numbers and log 

book entries. This was before I bought the ship. I feel that you or whoever put out this service bulletin 

is either very misinformed or are trying to sell the Brantly fleet all new rotor blades. 

This is the same approach that Brantly took on the tail rotor drive shaft. The only ones that were 

defective were the ones from Brantly 1991 era and forward that were made wrong, but the AD made 

everyone comply. That wasn't fair, nor is this service letter# 111. 

1 would greatly appreciate a reply, before this becomes an AD. Brantlys are a great helicopter and have 

a very good safety record. My customers and I don't want to comply with a service letter or AD that 

does not apply to the 101 or202 blades. If you want to put out a service letter or AD on 404 blades, you 

nave my blessing. They are the problem. 

If you need any more information, feel free to contact me. 

Gary Goldsberry 

Mooresville, Indiana 

317-996-2487 or cell317-691-9987 

gsgold@ccrtc.com