DB
Where did I say I was operating inside the avoid curve by flying my machine over Dartmoor at night with my wife and kids ???? I really think you need to pay more attention to not only your reading but what you actually say as you are making your self look a bit of a prat which I am sure you are not.
Every helicopter pilot in their life as entered the avoid curve at some point, if they havent they havent been taught properly. There is nothing wrong with entering the avoid curve, it is a risk assessment as I said 90% plus of all accidents are pilot error. To my mind there is almost no difference in being in a fully loaded 355F1 on a helipad takeoff to a 500 doing the same thing, if the engine fails both are going to hit the ground pretty hard.
You obviously feel very sercure in your twin ( ever see the film of South Wales Police helicopter splatting in with a tail rotor failure, possibly in a single's avoid curve but the extra engine did diddly squat for them ), please tell me in your 17000 hours how many engine failures have you had ? I may not have the 17000 hours of experience you have ( sorry only have 6000) I have had 3 rough running piston engines, ironically it is the rules that caused each one !!!!
The current aviation rules make it dam nigh impossible for engine manufactures to put an automotive engine into aviation. You wouldnnt even make Ford's front door if you took them a llycoming piston engine that weighs 500lbs produces 190hp uses 1 litre of oil every 4 hours ( new engine) and if reved at over 3200 rpm wants to destroy itself . Ford's engine failure rate is currently 1 in 10 million, they are that confident that only 1 in 10 engines in a new car is tested before it leaves the factory. So much for the rules making everything safe!
I am not suggesting that one breaks the rules but as most things in Western life now things are getting out of hand.
Not sure I am going to bother with this thread as we sit on different sides of the fence.