If he had not hit that crane he would have almost certainly landed at Battersea with no problem and the flight would have attracted no attention.
So.....are you saying that except for hitting the crane he had done nothing wrong?
Are you suggesting that except for Fate sticking a Thumb in his Eye it would have been acceptable for him to have done as he did?
TC,
I have a very huge problem with your comment:
"Look - 'most' pilots scud run especially if they operate within the confines of flying lanes as Peter did and especially if they know that the weather limits are borderline. Most clouds you penetrate during scud running are full of air! One or two are NOT. Guess what - "
As a very experienced Rudscunner.....One NEVER punches into Cloud....NEVER! The beauty of the helicopter is that it can fly very slowly....and is very agile especially at slow speeds. One maintains visual contact with the Ground at all times and One maintains forward Visibility and flies at a Speed that allows you to avoid obstacles and terrain AT ALL TIMES. One varies Speed based upon the distance and clarity of Visibility you have. Otherwise, you are going to spear that Mountain Goat with your Pitot Tube one day. One does not EVER Scud Run at Night....if one wishes to live long enough to make other mistakes in life.
All you Youngsters out there reading this. You can "Scud Run" but you have to do it in a "Safe" manner. Finding a way to do it both "Safe" and "Legal" is the hard part. Which should tell you that "Scud Running" is not an approved practice. Not being "Approved" connotes it should not be done to begin with.