SAS, you wrote: “ there is nothing "Normal" about that operation and red lines become something to talk about after the fact.”
A USAF HH-5C pilot named Donald Carty came up to SA to help us complete a flight loads survey data flight while hooked into a C-130 ( something new to yours truly ). We were talking one day about the inaccuracies our H53 project pilot had found in the cruise guide system at higher speeds and higher altitudes with the new -7 engines. Discussion got around to your subject of red lines. Well, Don had been “ up north “ one day and was being chased by a MIG. He dived at a cloud as that was his only possible salvation. I asked him about what his weight was and how fast he had gone. He said that he had no idea what the speed was as his total concentration was getting to that cloud as fast as he could. He did offer that the vibration level was something he hadn’t experienced before or since. They gave the ship a thorough inspection upon return ( he made it to the cloud and evaded the MIG ) without result. SAS, you are on point: there may occur a situation where the limitations as published become academic.