Originally Posted by Cazatou returns!
it is clear that they should, once clear of the North Antrim coast, have climbed to a suitable level at or above Safety Altitude until they were unequivocally certain that the weather on the Mull and in the surrounding area was suitable for low level VFR flight.
- I'm afraid that classifies as utter 'testicles' (I think that will get around the censor). Do you understand that the whole of the world's tactical low-level air forces would be rendered useless at a stroke if they flew like that? Which world are you in? Was your 'advice' contributory to the findings?
The 'MULL' is no different to any other southwest or west facing promontory on the west coast. Those weather conditions are 'text book' for that sort of terrain and every low-level pilot will know that. I would venture to state that not a single low-level qualified pilot would have climbed to SA once off the coast in those conditions, and certainly not an operationally qualified crew like that. This crew would have had to abort the sortie had they done so in view of the exstant icing limitations and would not even have departed base.