Memory serves me that in the mid-70's the BHL Ops Manual said "Day- Clear of Cloud"....and maybe 500M Vis but that was what was printed on the parchment.....Reality was a bit different.
Trundling out to the Ekofisk from Teeside one morning with a very senior Bristow Pilot.....I asked for any advice he could offer as I was brand new to the North Sea.
His one admonition was never lose sight of the surface be it dirt or water.
I reminded him that we had not seen either for almost two hours and his reply was ....."Monsieur Sasless.....do as I say do....not as I do!".
He was a joy to fly with and more fun to share a Pint with.
One of his other tricks of the trade was to use ATT Mode on the 212, Force Trim ON....and set the datum for Five Degrees Nose Up during the Hover Check prior to takeoff.....and fly against the Stick Trim so that the aircraft would always want to pitch up....not down.
Were it Scud Running we were doing or just IMC in uncontrolled airspace at low altitude....the difference is more legal than real I am thinking.