No, Pimpernel, the use of the word "numbskulls" entirely reinforces my point, which is that this forum is concerned with Safety and CRM and relevant issues.
If people are incapable of entering a discussion here without resorting to personal abuse, they have no business even coming onto this forum. If they can't understand that point, then the use of the word "numbskull" is entirely appropriate. I refrain (at times with much difficulty!
) from insulting people here. However, the point of the rules here has been made time and time again.
As for the discussion in this thread, I completely see the point that people are trying to get over to Batty. If they can do that without insulting him, then he is far more likely to see and understand what they are saying than if they put him on the defensive, irritate and upset him, and far more heat than light is then likely to be generated.
This forum is to educate, inform and discuss in a professional manner. Those whose attitude and approach to it is less than professional are not welcome. Nor do they have any entitlement to be considered captains trying to train, educate and inform the more junior members of the profession.
Anyway, here's my input (FWIW):-
Batty, SOP's are for guidance, not to be blindly followed in every situation. For one thing, they can never cover all possibilities, or you'd have another aircraft tagging along behind you carrying your ship's library. Even when they are specific, it is always the captain's prerogative to depart from SOP's provided he has what he sees as good cause. I frequently do so as my current company's SOP's are sadly lacking in many respects, and are being addressed even as I write this. Good CRM would dictate that you should brief other crew members affected prior to departure from SOP, but this is not always possible. I have flown CAT III aircraft. My current ship is CAT II capable, but not currently certificated for anything but Cat I, but when it all heads southwards, I would want the aircraft on the ground ASAP - even to the point of letting the autopilot land it if necessary (something it's not supposed to be capable of). If it's a nice day, your captain is not THAT ill, just incapacitated, say, by a severe case of Gandhi's Revenge, then by all means go around. But I think if he's having a heart attack and you fancy increasing your hours by diverting elsewhere, the skipper dies, your pax are upset by being bussed 150 miles and the company have to get the aircraft back from whereever you abandon it, you may have to find a few things to say to the Commercial Director, the Fleet Manager and the skipper's widow.
Remember - securing life on board take priority over legality at all times in cases of conflict. Then safety, then legality, then commercial expedience.