"Ladies and Gentlemen.................
............. we are on final approach to the platform now so please check your seat belts are secure. I am handing control to my young co pilot Second Officer Ian Capable now and let's hope he's remembered what I've taught him because very shortly he will be the only one able to see the helideck"
Can you imagine making a similar announcement to the 400 passengers of a B747 on finals to Heathrow. There would be uproar. But we take it as read that it's quite OK for one pilot (maybe the PIC) to be unsighted during the critical part of the approach.
Do helicopter designers know what we do?....... and how we do it? I don't think so otherwise they wouldn't continue to make cockpit visibility such a low priority and windshield wipers in the centre of the windshield suitable only for runway approaches..... and where were the certification standards when we needed them on this subject. I've heard some say that the S76 should never have been allowed o work offshore and there were times when i tended to agree.
G