Originally Posted by
John Eacott
Indeed, the NVFR rating used to be a Grade 4 Instrument Rating way back when. Not that it's a foolproof system, but the vast areas of Oz without much ground lighting or references mandates such a minimum instrument fit for the aircraft and minimum instrument rating for the driver, airframe.
If a required artificial horizon and "night rating" didn't keep a 16,000 hour pilot from crashing, then what good would it do a low time guy in an R44?
Instead of increased regulation it might be better to just try harder to get the point across that if you're not going to be able to clearly see the ground at anytime during a night flight, then just file and fly IFR.
,...and if you can't, just don't fly!