Originally Posted by
MightyGem
And once at the job, how do you let down to VMC? IR not required and those that got one(paid for by NPAS when the requirement came out) had problems keeping it current.
I’m sure you recall that the requirement for instrument flying for police helicopter pilots first came to the forefront in the aftermath of the tragic Husband’s Bosworth accident. The CAA mandated that police pilots had to demonstrate the ability to climb to safety altitude following inadvertent entry into IMC and divert for an instrument approach to an airfield. Pilots were required to fly an instrument training trip and an ILS every month. Another requirement was for a stabilised aircraft (or a second pilot). At that time, our unit flew a floppy stick Squirrel, which obviously didn’t comply.
Letting down below to VMC from an IFR transit at a job location isn’t something that can be guaranteed. Certainly not legal in a public transport aircraft of any type if a descent below SALT is involved. This was one question I pondered over when the push to replace a large number of police helicopters with fixed wing became the fashion.