I think back to some of the flying I have done in somewhat remote places...Alaska, Somalia, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Mali, Burkina Faso, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Iran, and Canada spring to mind....even in Washington and Oregon....radio flight following was not possible due to the terrain, nature of the task, and sheer distance from anyone that had a radio.
Somehow...we managed to survive despite not having radio services. We flew in some awfully inhospitable terrain in places....and over some very hostile folks in others. Talking to others around you...knowing someone will hear you if you holler for help is a comfort. But...it is only a convenience not a necessity.
On the one job in Africa.....after we cleared Bobo-Diolasso airspace we took off the headset and put on ear muffs....that was on Monday morning.....we did not need the headset again until late Friday afternoon or Saturday morning when we returned to Bobo. If you went down.....it would be a very long wait for help. The customer knew where your night stops were....thus you would only be out at most two days before someone missed you worst case.
In Somalia....the US Army always flew in pairs no matter where they went....we flew the 212 single pilot....without a second aircraft all over the country without any flight following beyond getting an arrival message sent back to your point of departure (if possible). It worked.
The Dark side can be a challenge sometimes....but that is why they paid the big bucks right?
