Thanks for the interesting replies. Out of interest, JAR OPS 3 says:
JAR-OPS 3.1060 Operational flight plan
(a) An operator must ensure that the operational flight plan used and the entries made during flight contain the following items:
(1) Helicopter registration;
(2) Helicopter type and variant;
(3) Date of flight;
(4) Flight identification;
(5) Names of flight crew members;
(6) Duty assignment of flight crew members;
(7) Place of departure;
(8) Time of departure;
(9) Place of arrival (planned and actual);
(10) Time of arrival;
(11) Type of operation (VFR, HEMS, etc.);
(12) Route and route segments with checkpoints/waypoints, distances, time and tracks;
(13) Planned cruising speed and flying times between check-points/way-points. Estimated and actual times overhead;
(14) Safe altitudes and minimum levels;
(15) Planned altitudes and flight levels;
(16) Fuel calculations (records of inflight fuel checks);
(17) Fuel on board when starting engines;
(18) Alternate(s) for destination and, where applicable, take-off and en-route, including information required in subparagraphs (12), (13), (14), and (15) above;
(19) Initial ATS Flight Plan clearance and subsequent re-clearance;
(20) In-flight re-planning calculations; and
(21) Relevant meteorological information.
(b) Items which are readily available in other documentation or from an acceptable source or are irrelevant to the type of operation may be omitted from the operational flight plan.
(c) An operator must ensure that the operational flight plan and its use is described in the Operations Manual.
(d) An operator shall ensure that all entries on the operational flight plan are made concurrently and that they are permanent in nature.
Hence presumably the CAA's request. I gather they're not particularly common in the heli world. I wonder if the CAA will try to enforce this? If anyone has an old OFP I could have I'd be most grateful.
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