I'm still not clear exactly what you have gained permission to do. Can you fly within the Specified Area as long as you can land clear and, if so, how do you demonstrate that capability when the boys from the Belgrano would certainly disallow most open spaces (in central London) as they permit public access.
OK. I have a feeling this is becoming more of a saga than necessary. First, let's take the celebrity factor out of it. Because I have. Then simply read the rules as they are currently written. Nothing's changed - except a myth has been kicked into touch.
With regard to "where to land" - well that too is obvious from the rules. The only requirement is to land without endangering etc. and to "remain able to alight clear of R160". Again, nothing has changed.
Our/my research was substantial and the docs alone would crash the pprune server. The critical piece of paper is Statutory Instrument 2005 964 available from the Cabinet Office website
here.
This is the only "rule" that matters - it's the foundation for all connected rules issued by any other body. The only thing that changed was that SI 2005 1110 removed R160/Specified requirements from Rule 5 and placed them into 964.
Huskie: I disagree with you on the heights for ENG work. There is no need to go lower than 1000ft and most of what we do is around 1500-2000. Let the camera do the work. I also take issue (sorry) with your claim that the AS355 offers better performance - are you another one who believes that 2 engines give better performance than one ? I urge you to quickly do some W&B MAUW calcs and see the truth. Even Eurocopter say that the single AS350B3 has better performance than the twin AS355. Talk to the pilots.
And you're also wrong on your reading of the requirements for R160. It is only required that any helicopter suffering
the failure of a power unit can alight clear of R160. No other emergency would preclude a landing inside R160 for any helicopter, whether single, twin or triple.