Are precautionary landings too rare?
That surprising fog in the mountains wouldn't have been plain old cloud would it?
Maybe that venture from ATPL(A) into the world of paid single pilot chater ops would be safer with 1k+ rotary. With so few rotary hours and your greater fixed-wing experience, there is a big risk of over-confidence in a category you barely know.
A heli can behave in ways that go right against all the experience you have when it really matters. Knew one fella who had plenty of fixed-wing experience who did his heli licence. Very confident in the air. In fact, he was an all-round top bloke. He's dead (helicopter accident).
Sorry, but your example belongs in the catgory of bad decisions to fly. You tried to get out the mountains in limited VMC by flying down a valley with circa 100 hours. Why did you take-off?
Maybe that venture from ATPL(A) into the world of paid single pilot chater ops would be safer with 1k+ rotary. With so few rotary hours and your greater fixed-wing experience, there is a big risk of over-confidence in a category you barely know.
A heli can behave in ways that go right against all the experience you have when it really matters. Knew one fella who had plenty of fixed-wing experience who did his heli licence. Very confident in the air. In fact, he was an all-round top bloke. He's dead (helicopter accident).
Sorry, but your example belongs in the catgory of bad decisions to fly. You tried to get out the mountains in limited VMC by flying down a valley with circa 100 hours. Why did you take-off?
Flying singles in the Canadian North, set down numerous times to wait out weather...fog, low cloud, icing, thunder storms, hail, snow storms, have even set down in the bush to wait out weather flying EMS 222s and S76s. Mind you, the weather encountered wasn't forecast (or flying out of tent camps in the eighties, didn't have forecasts, or actuals for that matter) or I wouldn't have gone in the first place. Flying 61s offshore, there were a few times I wish I had a place to set down. Deiced Super Puma with all the kit...haven't needed to yet.
