Gorilla
Can you point me to the report you have seen which comments on the co-pilot please.
The only comment I make is that once again the Human Rights acts have come into play on this one. The right to life of the horse rider takes priority over the requirements for low-level training.
I find these comments of particular interest; if I or my crews are not given opportunity to practise low-level flight as their bread and butter, I would not be prepared to shoulder the risk of send ing them to operate in a hostile environment unprepared. The Americans have gone down the road of low-flying at 250-ish feet in their helos and look how many they have lost to enemy action in both Afghanistan and Iraq.
Our pilots also have a right to live too!
HPT