I wonder if we should start ANOTHER thread on the NVG thing?
giveitsome, are you claiming you have been inadvertant IMC with many a student, or that you have correctly educated them to be careful of poor weather? What was it in your training that makes it safe for you to avoid IMC, and can that not simply be passed on to others as it was passed on to you?
The question was wether it was easier to avoid inadvertant IMC or not. The answer is still a yes.
as for your statement that:
To launch into marginal VMC wx thinking you can see and avoid the fluffy stuff simply because you are aided (NVG equipped)without an escape route or access to an instrument recovery (notamed as serv) is a recipe for disaster and plain stupid.
a tad emotive perhaps, and certainly misleading. Who on earth said that we would be considering launching into marginal vmc? Wouldn't this be equally stupid during the day? Or do people suddenly loose their wits at night? Methinks you need to review the wx minima for civilian NVG ops.
What we are talking about here is replacing NVFR with NVG. Wx, equipment, crewing everything is roughly the same, just do it with NVG. We are not talking about 50ft with a TOT to a dusty pad un recce'd in formation! Why require a CIR, etc etc, when you are making NVFR safer? You dont need it for NVFR, so lets not get histerical by adding lots of requirements to do it on NVG. 10 plus years of civ ops in the USA and Switzerland is a relatively good yardstick.
We have had poor viz CFIT accidents during the day, the night, and even IFR, and we havent movd to ban those regimes. Eventually a CFIT will occur with NVG fitted. You get that. But should we ignore the tens of accidents that would not otherwise have occured NVFR and NIFR simply because we fear 1 accident? If so, and using the same rationale lets stop flying during the day too, because that has encouraged people to push the weather hasn't it?
On to the 120 (that is the thread isn't it?) a grapevine wisper is that the pilot has done a great job to get the aircraft down without serious injury. If so, well done that man!