212man, you are right on with your reference to CAO20.11, regarding aircraft operating over water with OEI accountability not being required to be equipped with floats. That is the whole point of my thread really as I'm trying to ascertain what that really means in the fair dinkum, 150nm off shore, middle of the night, 50 knots across the deck, crap turbulence and spray everywhere, and your landing area pitching and rolling like a real bitch scenario............
Hence my question - I think OEI accountability in the overwater scenario means just that. ie. PC1 not PC2 or PC2 with "exposure", noting by the way that current Aussie ME helicopter performance standards are enshrined in a CASA 2005 'Policy" document and are not yet in regulations. If you are operating to CAT A procedures either PC1 or PC 2 over land, then any "forced landing" you may wind up having to carry out at least will be onto an area where you aint gonna immediately sink ("without a bubble" as someone above so eloquently put it!)
So, again to my original question - are there any aircraft currently doing this kind of op here in Australia and if so, what type and model can do it please?
Maybe there is someone from CASA lurking here on pprune with an opinion....?
Last edited by oldrotorhead; 28th September 2012 at 13:39.