Originally Posted by
HeliComparator
Slowing below Vy seems a bad idea to me - on the back of the drag curve its very easy to lose too much speed. Then the regulatos will want to know what you will do if an engine fails in IMC below Vy, etc etc.
Personally I think even slowing to Vy can be too much if there is a significant crosswind, since the drift angle can become significant, resulting in pilots looking in the wrong place for the lights and possibly rendering one pilot unsighted at the moment its decided to go visual.
Yes, a helicopter can do both these things but the primary aim should be a safe landing somewhere, not a landing at the nominated destination but with reduced safety margin.
Aggressive visual manoeuvring at low speed in marginal weather (big flare to slow down) just seems a recipe for disaster, and for what benefit?
HC, I have not flown in the NS, so it may be different there, but on the Canadian East Coast there are weeks where approaches to minimums (ie. you consistently need the second approach to get in, or you just don't) are the norm. You, DB, and others have advocated several things that make me leery.
1) everyone keeps stating the 225 autopilot, or EC standard autopilot, is perfect. Bull$hit. It was designed by people, there are places it will not be adequate. Forgot this at your own risk! You may not have seen them yet, but eventually someone will!
2) when at true minimums on the approach, one pilot is on the dials and the other is looking out. If the weather was good enough for both to be looking for visual references (outside) then it wouldn't be an approach to minimums! One pilot decides. The other maintains a back-up on instruments. There is no aggressive manouevering (sp?, i don't care really). There is a whole runway, or rig, in front of you.
And CDFA/dive-and-drive (what a crap term!), is it really that hard to see the differences? Or are all the endless questions on here from people who fly neither helicopters or IFR?
If you are actually planning to successfully land an approach in minimum weather, these are things you should have thought about long ago!