On night VFR flights especially in the winter there is always the danger to find suddenly and unreported bad weather. In the most cases the local pilots are able to make a better weather forecast than the hundreds of miles away coffee-drinking meteorologists. Because they have the weather from the computer who is modelling and counting the forecast and didn't know the local weather problems like forrests with low stratus or sudden fog over water. Weather reporting stations are sometimes more than 50 miles away from the next. In our area is no ATC radar help available in our common flight altitudes.
As i wrote we fly single pilot with VFR Twins without AP. This means there is no way to check the FM/emergency checklist in case of an emergency because i have only two hands
or to hold a flight chart. You have to know the area and the FM by heart. The written weather report gives 4-5 reporting stations (reports only any full hour) in an area greater than 10.000 square miles. Flights are often more than 3h with the risk of a complete weather change. The (non flying) boss is only interested in flight hours and volume. His boss, the big big boss, promised years ago an adequate ship full IFR with flight director. But now both bosses
seem to be really lucky with the simple old ship and his low operating costs.
This kind of equipment and flight ops are fully certified by the authority. The officers aren't interested in pilots talks. Could make problems! Forget QM!!! The QM is only interested to hold his job.
But this isn't an isolated "boss problem". We, the pilots, are the problem. We are ready to swallow this conditions. We are ready to accept a flight an other pilot refused. We are ready to make the job as pilot, as QM, as Chief Pilot. Awaring that others have refused this jobs. There are so many pilots out there in this world ready to take my job. I'm sure also here on PPRUNE we have a lot of pilots ready to sell her grandma for a Twin rating. (As could be seen on some threads
) Only to have a job or to make more money than today. On a nearby base (other operator) the crews get more money in case of flying at night. They try really to make any flight because they seem to need money, money, money...
And i forgot, the last EMS accident at night in bad weather in our area was only two years ago... 2 guys died...
I'm tired from talks like this. This things will never changed in the future, also if the authority will make 1000 new regulations.