212man,
I shall ask a rude question .....what operator is so damn cheap that they would buy an S76A++ and NOT put a RadAlt on the thing (in this day and time)?
Probably the very same outfit that would have the S76A running around the GOM haulling passengers without any Stab or Instruments beyond the very basic panel that comes with a "Green" aircraft from the factory. That was caused by the backlog at Heli-Dyne for completions.
Can we agree that is an indicator of what the standards "used to be" in the GOM years ago and that is the mindset that has to be excised from our industry?
Granted I can recall having three BarAlts and no RadAlt on the North Sea despite flying in Norwegian waters in the same airspace that Helikopter Services flew in using RadAlts for altitude control. Thus we ponced around using a regional QNH setting in the same airspace as opposing traffic did using a more accurate method of determining height although our reference datum was different from theirs.