Stevie,
Having just come back to read the thread, I noticed:
>>A bit like the red line on the airspeed indicator. We all know the aircraft will do much more than that without falling apart, but we respect that limitation anyway (I hope...) <<
If I remember right though, the HV diagram for all heli's has NO percentage tolerance, i was discussing this with a few CFI's last weekend. Yes, one might go over Vne slightly and you have a fidge factor, but not the HV because it is graphed by the test pilot as to whether he/she was able to succeed in an auto at those HV points.
Perhaps that factor figures into why your CAA is so hard pressed as to min alt's. Or that you all are right, they simply don't "trust" you. We're exempt from the height/radius because the FAA (not always in our favor) realized the heli's capabilities, why does the CAA seem to maintain the same restrictions to the heli?
(I still say you all get together and press the CAA into adopting the FAA's rule, strength in numbers, that sort of thing.)
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Marc
[This message has been edited by RW-1 (edited 16 May 2001).]