Nick's contention that nothing is being done and there is no infrastructure is somewhat behind the times - see for example the extensive LL-IFR route structure that has been designed, and is in use, in the North East of the US.
At an RAeS conference last week in the 'Technology Friend or Foe' series:
'Helicopter Operations in an Increasingly Complex Environment'
Session three was about 'Operations in DVE - Low-Level IFR, PinS and APV/LPV'; this session included presentations from Italy, Norway and Switzerland on how such procedures have been used to demonstrate the efficacy of Performance Based Navigation (PBN) and Required Navigation Performance (RNP). They showed how integrated system are already being employed in these countries. Early versions of these procedures had completed the SESAR 'PBN Helicopter Operations under Demonstration' (PROuD) trials in 2016. (The latest development is a proposal for the reduction of the width of the LL-IFR routes to RNP 0.1 - if used in Switzerland, this could substantially reduce the required level of the airways and permit IFR operations deep in the valleys.)
Discussed in this Session were how LL-IFR Routes are being used to provide the backbone for IFR 'spurs' to achieve direct access to known (and surveyed) locations, and
PinS 'proceed VFR' rendezvous points - providing VFR access to unprepared sites. The Session concluded with a presentation on a flexible approach module (FLEXAP) designed to allow aircraft to approach airports with less capable ground-based approach aids or remote sites with no approach aids'. However, these systems cannot come into widespread use unless operations are being conducted in an area where an effective 'terrain and obstacle database' exists (as the recent SAR accident in Ireland has shown, this cannot be taken for granted).
However, the majority of unprepared sites are in 'uncontrolled airspace'; for that reason the safe use of 'let down' procedures will be dependent upon the effective use of 'detect and avoid' technology. Use of 'electronic visibility' was extensively discussed in Session two because it is likely that such 'uncontrolled airspace' would also be shared with 'drones'. Conflict detection and resolution - how airborne self-separation can be safely achieved in an ever-congested airspace, was covered by Jaap Groeneweg of NLR, an expert in the field.
In the final Session - 'The Helicopter as an Intelligent Agent', manufacturers showed how they were way ahead of the required infrastructure and already had in place the required equipment and performance to facilitate such operations. One manufacturer even claimed that work on a 'FLEXAP' procedure was already being conducted.
Jim