Originally Posted by
cazatou
bankmeadow - re your 7138.
It is really quite simple, in fact it's that simple I am suprised some folk still to this day are struggling with it. The BOI stated that "the forecast weather was suitable for the Flight but would have required flight in accordance with IFR in the vicinity of the Mull of Kintyre" but only if the forecast weather had been an accurate reflection of what was the actual weather, but as the very term "forecast" implies only a possibility then that is exactly what it was.
To put that another way "the forecast weather was suitable for the flight but would have precluded flight in accordance with VFR in the vicinity of the Mull of Kintyre." if the forecast weather accurately reflected the actual weather at the time the Chinook approached the Mull
Both those statements have the same meaning in Flight Safety terms - as they approached the Mull they should have been at or above Safety Altitude if the forecast weather reflected the actual weather but if the Chinook was still legally VFR as it approached the Mull then remaining belowy SA was not a problem and they could then remain happily and legally below SA and satisfy the VFR criteria until they were unequivocably certain that the en route weather ahead was suitable for low level flight at high speed.
Before we get into the argument that SH do not operate that way, let us be quite clear that this was not an SH Task but a routine Passenger Transit Flight utilising In Theatre SH assets. I stand by to be corrected but this is a new one on me
Caz,
None of this is very difficult and with your history I am really not sure why you are unable to quite get it?