Originally Posted by
rotorspeed
...introduced another issue - that some, according to HC, apparently operate L2s in 3 axis mode most of the time, and others, eg Woolf and Cyclic, say they use 4 axis with alt aquire for NPAs as routine.
No, there is no difference between Woolf, Cyclic and my positions on this. Everyone flies the L2 in 3 axis for climb and cruise. Everyone (normally) flies the L2 in 4 axis for an instrument approach. There was just some difficulty with interpretation of posts.
As to whether CHC have issued some sort of edict regarding 3 or 4 axis coupling for instrument approaches, only someone in CHC will know. It would seem reasonable, but muddied by the fact that inoperative collective trim (meaning only 3 axis available) is an MEL-allowed item, although it's very rare to have this inoperative. Bristow doesn't have any L2s in Europe.