TC,
You said: "Anyway what good is a police chopper parked up at a diversion airfield for the night??????
For those of you who say - a diverted a/c is better than a crashed a/c due to inadvertent imc:
1. Non Ir pilots train for inadvertent IMC 4 times a year, an IR pilot only does it once a year!
2. There is NO EXCUSE for going inadvertent IMC in police work - none. You simply don't go / land / or turn back early.................
What we need is NVIS to the deck (t/o and l/o) and GPS self let downs...this is the 21st century after all."
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Well, a police chopper is safe parked up at a diversion for the night, that's good in my book. Alternatively, having rebriefed, if it's safe and the VCF conditions can be met, then why not refuel and fly in visual contact back to base? If it's not good enough to do so, then you presumably wouldn't be getting airborne again in any event, even if you had landed back at base instead?
I agree about the anomaly of your point 1. Could be cured by a change to the PAOM part 2. However, an IR'd pilot in an IFR aircraft can practice it any time he likes....
Re. point 2. In an ideal world maybe, but I guess you must work where there is a lot of cultural lighting or spend a lot of time playing cards....
But GPS self letdowns? You don't need THEM if you have no excuse to go inadvertent IMC!!