Oh yes I remember those times very well but my real night horrors were whilst on the Fulmar doing night shuttles around the field in all weathers in a 105DB with no rad alt and single pilot.
I've said it before on Prune but if the helicopter was equipped with a dial called a 'skill meter' then there were plenty of times when it was knocking on the top stops. Landing an S76 at night in pouring rain on some of the southern North Sea decks was a real test.
In terms of risk management you have a dilemma, to maintain a 24 hour capability for medevac etc. you actually need people who are current and 3 deck landings at night every 90 days doesn't really do it. You select people for night standby and train them every month then one night one of the captains goes sick and you have to draft in a ninety-day man (or woman) then you have racked up the risk. The costs of keeping everyone on a 30 day requirement would be astronomical unless you lease a decommissioned rig and put it 10 miles off Aberdeen and maybe others where they can be accessed within minutes rather than hours.
G
