Most of the comments on this have been refreshingly well-balanced and recognise that this is a very difficult business. I don’t have the solution, but I want to point out how evenly balanced the problem is, and by doing so, quiet some of the more outrageous views, particularly “Bomber Aris” whose chosen name does at least indicate some admiration for the RAF!
Bristow people will recognise me and know I have some interest in airspace and IFR matters.
1. It’s Class G airspace and no-one has more right to be there than anyone else.
2. Both crews were equally frightened and are (presumably) equally anxious to solve this problem.
3. The military started using the North Sea for training way before there were any oil rigs there. That was in response to complaints from the populace to “send them away somewhere”. Now, the “newcomers” want the military to move on again. Do we want to turn them into unwanted “travellers”?
4. Someone makes the point that there are lots of obstructions to lookout in a Tornado. Not as much as in a 332 where most of the helicopter is in the way!
5. The HMR structure occupies a huge area. Given that not all HMRs are occupied all the time, and that the helos could be anywhere from 500ft to FL85, and that the HMRs themselves carry no kind of protection (as airspace), is it reasonable to close it all off to military a/c?
6. If the traffic density warrants it, the airspace could be redesignated (Class F perhaps. It’s not an advisory route, but the rules for Class F would appear to fit the bill). Have the helo operators explored this? But I suspect that traffic density, being much lower than on airways, would not actually win the case.
I said I didn’t have the answer, and BHL folk know where to find me if they disagree, but lets not allow this to turn into “we’re Goodies, they’re Baddies”. It's a difficult problem and we need to work together to solve it.