Hi Somesuch,
It would appear that the only means of achieving a level playing field (if you can have this in SS 4) would be with an airspace requirement - whether that would be the method of application is not known to me.
As the Report applied only to UK offshore operations, it is also not clear (to me) whether other fringe States would follow suit.
Bondu,
I'm sure all are aware of Sea State forecasts (it appears in Annex E page 25 of the report) along with this text:
2.10 Sea State Information
2.10.1 ICAO Annex 3 has a recommended practice in relation to the provision of information for helicopter operations. It is stated in Appendix 3.
4.8.1.5 Recommendation.— In METAR and SPECI, the following information should be included in the supplementary information, in accordance with regional air navigation agreement:
a) information on sea-surface temperature, and the state of the sea or the significant wave height from aeronautical meteorological stations established on offshore structures in support of helicopter operations;
2.10.2 The UK has arranged that state of the sea information is provided from a number of offshore installations and is included in the AUTO METARs. Arrangements are being made to change the reporting from state of the sea to significant wave height which has been made possible following an amendment to ICAO Annex 3.
2.10.3 In addition forecast significant wave height information is provided on OHWeb.
I have to remind you that I do not speak (or think) for the CAA but am merely reporting what is contained in CAP 1145.
I find it somewhat bizarre that canteen practices always seems to be in the minds of some of the members. I wonder what Freud would make of that?
Jim