Morning All,
I think most people will agree that flying Offshore (certainly in the North Sea) at night is quite well regulated and safe. Sufficient lighting is (mostly – see thread on southern North Sea NUI’s) in place and decks are regulated in terms of size and also movement which in most cases are more restrictive at night.
However I can sympathise with Special 25, especially when we are talking night landings to a smallish bow deck with lots of fast movement and nothing to look at. To be honest I do actually like the challenge of a difficult landing and feel quite satisfied after a smooth and safe landing in those conditions (you might even call it professional pride). But then again if I am the flying pilot I know that should things go wrong (e.g. deceptive references) or should I loose visuals with the deck I WILL initiate a safe go around and come back to try again.
Things are slightly different as the non-flying pilot. It’s a bit like being front seat passenger in a car in difficult driving conditions were you find yourself hitting the “air brakes” or leaning into the turn to help it round the corner. It just feels better if you drive yourself …. I think pilots especially are people who like to be in control of every situation (and so they should be). In a multi-crew environment this is slightly more difficult because there has to be trust in the other pilot’s abilities. In a well regulated company you have the knowledge that the training department thinks that the pilot is able to do the job, but personally I find that this trust is built up over time as you get to know each pilot flying the line.
As others have said before the key to safe night landings is appropriate training, a good brief, a stable approach and plenty of practice (which is probably the hardest part to get). Above all not being afraid of going around if things go wrong.
Steve76, congratulations on being such a great pilot, I genuinely hope you will miss those towers every time and I certainly take my hat off to all EMS drivers (especially the ones flying at night)! However not everyone is up there with you, yes there are mediocre and even bad pilots working within the industry (Sometimes flying single pilot has its advantages). In my opinion a discussion on how to improve safety is always a good thing - that’s why your comments make me slightly uneasy. Overall I think flying offshore, even at night, has an excellent safety record which cannot be said about your industry.
Regards,
Woolf