Flight manuals...good grief.
It is interesting to see where different manufacturers place information. Aerospat put the H-V chart for the original Squirrel in "Section 1: Limitations," which did nothing to alter how we use the helicopter in the real world but instead created endless arguments among pilots about how we should. By the same token, why on earth would Bell put the H-V diagrams for their medium twins in "Limitations?" What were they thinking?
To Old Man Rotor: I'm sure the FAA-approved AFM supplements for hoists and cargo hooks include wording that exempts the pilots from the limitations in the H-V diagram.
For SASless: the conundrum you noted would not be eliminated if offshore operators went to an all-Squirrel fleet. Just out of curiosity, does anybody know in what AFM section are the H-V diagrams for the EC-120 and -130?
To Lu: If there is a page in an AFM which is neither numbered nor FAA-approved, then it doesn't exist...officially. You are free to ignore it at your whim or peril.