SOP definition
My thoughts after reading these posts is that the first thing needed is a definition of what an SOP is. Of course there is no wrong answer to that question. The SOP will be what the company of pilots decide it is. When I flew in the military, we had an SOP that had nothing to do with emergency procedures or how the helicopter worked. It was a guideline as to how we would conduct missions and procedures within a mission. For example the IIMC procedure. It is not spelled out in the operators manual so it is in the SOP. It was required to be briefed before every mission. If the weather was clear, blue and 22 then we could simply state: "inadvertant IMC will be done per the SOP." If the weather was down below a certain level then we would brief the actual procedure specifically. Another example: "aircraft lighting will be per the SOP." It allowed us to get through a briefing in one hour instead of two. It was every pilots responsibility to understand the SOP and the IP's ensured we all knew it. Anytime someone had a question they could speak up for clarification and the SOP was a living document that could, after much review and discussion, be changed to better serve the missions we flew. I am an advocate of a good operational SOP because once you see your fellow pilots all understand the thing, then you know you are all operating in the same manner and you all know what to expect from each other. The SOP as I see it does not challenge or attempt to repeat the operators manual. It is designed to answer mission questions while still on the ground rather that wondering what to do while in the air. I flew many years in the airlines and they have it down to a science. A good example is when doing a circling approach to a specific airport, the company had developed a standard set of guidelines about when to put the flaps to a certain degree, what airspeed to fly at any given point etc. to successfully and safely shoot the approach. You didn't have to figure it all out on a dark and stormy night. A good SOP should remain as unchanged as possible and should not include limitations, EP's or any procedures that are spelled out in the operators manual such as checklists. However, it should provide you with guidance for common situations that will allow you to complete tasks and keep you within limitations and regulations.
Cheers