Originally Posted by
LeadSled
Whether you like it or not, flying a training/checking ride at night adds an extra element of risk ---- simple fact.
This is why legitimate airlines will not conduct asymmetric or a number of other exercises in non-normal configuration at night, outside a simulator.
We have on the books some very serious/fatal accidents during training at night, that probably would have been less serious/wouldn't have happened at all, in daylight --- think Metro at Tamworth, light twin at Camden, just for two.
Glib statements like "the aeroplane doesn't know it night" do no more than reveal a distinct lack of understanding of risk management --- but we know there are no shortages of smart -a ---s (alecks) in aviation.
So your opinion is that you should not undergo recurrent checks to validate your competency on a rating that you hold? Extending that somewhat, why bother performing a CIR renewal in actual IMC? Afterall, it is less risky to do it in day-VMC, isn't it? Actually, why not do all training in Day-VMC? The fundamental issue in most of these accidents seems to be overconfidence by the checker, in that he is unable/unwilling to correct a trainees mistake resulting in a CFIT prang. Many times over. Not necessarily when they happen. Of course it is easier to see a situation going pear-shaped during the day, but if you cannot detect the same scenario at night, then you have no business conducting the renewal...The trainee deserves better,
It's all well and good to say that 'proper' operators and the airlines will use a sim for riskier operations, and that is a valid claim
when a suitable simulator is available...Most times, for GA anyway, this is simply not the case. That is the unfortunate reality, whether or not it is liked.