JimL;
There will be all sorts of hormonal fits at the Belgrano if you keep posting on here! What I really struggle to understand these days is that when you and I flew together we were in a S61 with basic sas, Decca roll maps and crap radar and we seemed to manage a higher level of safety than today.
My copy of the ops manual from back then covered so many situations and procedures better than the modern manuals. Has JAR opened up more holes in the Swiss cheese? Is training not as thorough? Are the procedures JAR compliant, but in fact not fit for purpose?
How many of us on here remember the rule of no deck landings in 50 + kt winds after the Cormorant crash in 1992? That lasted until the oil companies couldn't get urgent supplies offshore. Oddly the first oil company to whine owned the Cormorant.
I'm glad I no longer work offshore, but I believe that this safety review should have started at Gatwick, then Brussels, and then the oil companies who have slashed costs and compromised safety by their cheap attitude for so long.
I expect Shell Management will be along shortly to justify the behaviour of the oil companies, but I personally will take a lot of persuading that current practise as defined in legislation is best practise.
SND