Radgirl, as I no longer fly in a professional capacity, I have been trained as a Community First Responder and completed a number of ambulance shifts as part of ,my training - I am well aware that ambulance crews also have their operational limits and constraints.
Yes, it appears to have been a positioning flight in this case and although the conditions at the hospital were not very suitable, the conditions elsewhere might have been absolutely fine. The forecast and actual weather would have helped me make a decision in this case.
AKEE
we can not perform the takeoffs as you suggest as this is not allowed by EASA.
exactly my point - it is the regulators, not the skill of the pilots or the safety of the machines that is the limiting factor here. We, and many other SAR operators, managed for many years to fly in completely unsuitable weather, over land and sea by day and night, constantly mitigating the risks of engine failures or other malfunctions, into and out of hospital sites to save lives - all without PC1 limitations and all completely safely. EASA regs are not progress.
If there was any level of expertise in helicopter ops within EASA and any understanding of how unsuitable the performance class restrictions are for HEMS and SAR work, we might see more flexibility in how such operations can be conducted.
I am sure I am not alone in having hover-taxied from field to field in fog (at night) to creep in over the hospital fence and deliver the critical casualty to then depart vertically into IMC for the return to base. These things can be done repeatedly and safely when the situation requires them - you just have to allow the crews to train for them.