And by the way, landing at a strip in the mountains at night with only lights from a gas station for guidance is what I would call a "bad decision". That is what the accident report would say if your friend, God forbid, had an accident. I can guarantee you that it would make no mention of the fact that he has done it safely for 40 years. It would probably start off with "The pilot excersised poor judgement blah blah blah"
My point was that a "good" pilot doesn't nescessarily have to be a "professional" pilot. My friend, and professional pilot with numerous licences hit a mountain on an IAP, killing 5. This was not the old boy I was talking to in the airport Cafe who knew his limitations.
Ever heard the urban story of two airline pilots who flew into the Barringer Meteor crater in arizona? They never came out again.
So becaue one is "professional" doesn't mean they are "good" or safe (IMHO) and it is stupid to claim such a thing. Knowing your limits is what counts......It would be stupid for me to barrel roll a 707, but to Tex Johnson it was a non event.
See what I'm saying?