As much as I disagree with his ideas of a quick flight in cloud in a single, I don't wish to see a Nigelh CFIT thread. I don't particularly wish to see any more threads on the subject of one of us 'buying the farm'.
Accidents will continue to happen. Rules will continue to be bent and i'll bet a months salary( £15.22) that we'll be reading of at least one more bad weather accidnet in the next 12 months.
Whilst Nigelh is saying a bit of an eye opener will possibly help matters, Flingingwings is saying maybe we should use sensible means to fulfil this experience, and yes, I wouldn't get into a car driving argument with FW as he's probably the best placed to win that one any time.
FNPT2's may not be real helicopters, but they do have a place in the training environment which, being cheaper and 'unbreakable', would seem to be the best solution.
I'm pretty sure the operators of these procedural training devices would 'sell' some training time to ppl holders and even cpl holders. Give them a try. Ring them and ask. Look at Multiflight, (leeds), Fast (Thruxton), Helicopter Services (Wycombe) etc.There are probably more. I spent 40 hours in one (not all at once) and you really do get a lot from them.
Just plan a flight along a fixed route. Get used to the sensitivity of the controls (it's a non SAS B206 or AS35 mockup usually) and then set off with a 2000' cloud base with light winds etc. Get the operator to gradually reduce the viz and cloudbase, add in some turbulence, and just see how you get on. You decide how far you go. Replay any part you like over and over. It's a cheap and very safe way of getting that experience without taking a totally unsuitable machine into cloud. That is foolish under any circumstances and I don't car who is flying it.
NigelH, If you're happy breaking one rule, are you happy breaking others? I always thought the rules and certification limits were just that, not guidelines to use as you see fit.
