bryancobb
Junior Member
- Joined
- Aug 2, 2010
- Messages
- 5,336
- Location
- Cartersville, GA
- Aircraft
- Owned Brantly B-2b/Fly Kitfox III/Mini-500b
- Total Flight Time
- 1350
Vance,
As a good friend and supporter of Mr. Fetters, how do you feel about the following FACTS?
1) He sold 500+ kits in a very short year-and-a-half or so. There is SOMEreason a cheap sexy little helicopter like that design, does not number in the tens of thousands, now, almost 17 years later? What do you feel is the reason?
2) The reason there is not 10,000+ Mini 500's flying today, is because the initial customers felt and voiced loudly, that Mr. Fetters actions after their ships were flying, were not typical of how a company treats its' customers.
The Mini-500 had problems that, IMHO, could have been fixed and the company could have moved on, and sold tens of thousand more ships. The thing that sank the ship, again IMHO, is the heartfelt anger of that initial group of buyers, toward Mr. Fetters, for how he did things, what he said to and about them, and what they claimed were his downright ruthless and possibly unethical business practices.
I experienced all that mostly second hand, since I was only the pilot of one of his first customer's ships. I was also a close personal friend of a regional Mini-500 dealer. I remember all the negative mudslinging back and forth. I remember lawsuit threats. I remember builder's group(s) of some of the initial 500+ owners forming a practical "battle-Plan" against the company.
I don't think I have witnessed or learned of this phenomenon about any other company, toward their customers and potential customers. The taste that Mr. Fetters left in his customers' mouths has been a legacy that B.J. Schramm had to deal with every day with the Helicycle. It also is constantly in John Uptigrove's mind with the Mosquitoes.
I go back to my original question...There is SOMEreason a cheap sexy little helicopter like that design, does not number in the tens of thousands, now, almost 17 years later? What do you feel is the reason? It is not because the Mini was garbage. It wasn't.
As a good friend and supporter of Mr. Fetters, how do you feel about the following FACTS?
1) He sold 500+ kits in a very short year-and-a-half or so. There is SOMEreason a cheap sexy little helicopter like that design, does not number in the tens of thousands, now, almost 17 years later? What do you feel is the reason?
2) The reason there is not 10,000+ Mini 500's flying today, is because the initial customers felt and voiced loudly, that Mr. Fetters actions after their ships were flying, were not typical of how a company treats its' customers.
The Mini-500 had problems that, IMHO, could have been fixed and the company could have moved on, and sold tens of thousand more ships. The thing that sank the ship, again IMHO, is the heartfelt anger of that initial group of buyers, toward Mr. Fetters, for how he did things, what he said to and about them, and what they claimed were his downright ruthless and possibly unethical business practices.
I experienced all that mostly second hand, since I was only the pilot of one of his first customer's ships. I was also a close personal friend of a regional Mini-500 dealer. I remember all the negative mudslinging back and forth. I remember lawsuit threats. I remember builder's group(s) of some of the initial 500+ owners forming a practical "battle-Plan" against the company.
I don't think I have witnessed or learned of this phenomenon about any other company, toward their customers and potential customers. The taste that Mr. Fetters left in his customers' mouths has been a legacy that B.J. Schramm had to deal with every day with the Helicycle. It also is constantly in John Uptigrove's mind with the Mosquitoes.
I go back to my original question...There is SOMEreason a cheap sexy little helicopter like that design, does not number in the tens of thousands, now, almost 17 years later? What do you feel is the reason? It is not because the Mini was garbage. It wasn't.