Originally Posted by
ShyTorque
In jobs like this, where the weather goes against you, the pressure to go is always present or implied, much more so than in the airline world. The pilot has the option of possibly being stood up against the wall by the CAA, if it goes badly wrong, or directly on the day by the customer if a more cautious no-go option is chosen. I've often taken the latter option and then been taken to task by the aircraft owner, who after the event asks the opinions of non experts, such as his estate manager or taxi driver and tells you it was the wrong choice because "You would have got in".
Such is the lot of the corporate heli pilot and one needs to have very broad shoulders.
Yes, it is fair to say that the lot of onshore charter pilots is more fraught with cultural pressures and often operationally challenging environments (unofficial weather measurements/assessments; off-field landings; ad hoc flights to new and perhaps unsurveyed environments) than that of offshore peers. But there has to be a line drawn when one or more decision points run up against better judgement. Gratitude for getting the job in critical conditions is perishable (at best); the consequences of a proper cock-up are severe and long-lasting. Ultimately, no one will thank you for killing them.