would you do this?
You're flying over the sea from A (europe) to B (north of england), at night, in a (high performance) single engined aircraft.
Suddenly you get an engine malfunction, which isn't an immediate catastrophe, but you need to get on the ground pretty darned quick.
You're high, so you've got time to prepare, and you divert to the nearest available airport.
The approach is a bit exciting, as you're not sure if the engine will keep running, fortunately the weather is good and ATC radar is available to give you accurate height and distance guidance all the way down.
In the end the landing is uneventful and you taxy in and park in an area where the lighting isn't particularly good for anything but taxying or walking around.
You and your experienced colleagues get out the torches and spend the next 20 mins or so inside the engine.
Very obvious fault found, ultimate consequences could have been fatal, but hey - it's easily fixed and although it was the sort of problem that could lead to others, now we'll be on our way thank you very much!
So off you go.
Intended destination is some 130 miles away, the direct track takes you over a considerable amount of open sea, and the rest of the route is over land but with only one available diversion airport open (and that's some 20m miles from the destination).
You are asked there's anyone expecting you at destination or if there's anyone you'd like notifying of your departure time and expected arrival time at destination (no FPL filed) - no and no thanks.
This is not a direct critisism of the people involved - their aeroplane, their call.
However, I can't help thinking that they were taking a hell of risk, when, for £100 or so they could all have stayed overnight, and had a good look at the aeroplane the next day, in daylight and with the assistance of another engineer.