Originally Posted by
Torquetalk
Hold FAA licenses Gordy and have a fair amount of experience navigating with exactly that kind of chart. As a tool intended for navigation with reference to terrain, they suck. The criticism is specific.
And whilst it is true that night ops can be done safely in any aircraft, the risks are not equal. R44 is unstabilised, with no trim, no electrical redundancy. Chasing cars at night out from the airport into the gloop? You gotta be kidding me.
Navigating---I agree not entirely the best, but one did demonstrate years ago how to do it in order to get licensed, so it can be done. Obviously I use GPS now, but still have a chart backup, and can still navigate by it if I had to.
As for night in an R-44, did it way back in the mid 1990's, but then flew a 407 for a sheriff department, have more night time than day time in that aircraft, it too is "unsterilized, with no trim, no electrical redundancy" and yet the preferred choice of LE helicopter on this side of the pond. Again, it comes down to cultural differences in what we learned with and are comfortable with.