Night time

[ChopperJ]

How much night time is typical in a year in the GOM?

[PhotoFlyer]

During the winter there is more night time, since the sun sets earlier. During the summer there is less night time since the sun sets later.

 

 

OH! You mean how much is flown. From what I hear, unless your flying IFR, none. And if you do fly IFR, very little.

[Gomer Pylot]

It's not none, but it's not a lot. If you're flying mediums you may get a little taking off before sunrise, and flying after sunset, but it's usually difficult to maintain night currency. There are a few (maybe 3 or so) night ships, which do parts runs and medevacs, but that's about it. Small ships don't fly at night at all. In the dark offshore, it's IMC, and you do not want to be flying a VFR ship out there. Lots of people have died trying to do it.

[ChopperJ]

Thanks PhotoFlyer for the lesson in semantics. I knew there wasn't much night flying so I was just trying to figure out how I'm going to get another 140 hours of night time (200 hours night needed for a lot of EMS jobs) if I go to the gulf this year. I do very little if any night flying now so I'm trying to think ahead to the future. Any suggestions?

[rotormandan]

Thanks PhotoFlyer for the lesson in semantics. I knew there wasn't much night flying so I was just trying to figure out how I'm going to get another 140 hours of night time (200 hours night needed for a lot of EMS jobs) if I go to the gulf this year. I do very little if any night flying now so I'm trying to think ahead to the future. Any suggestions?

 

Get your cfii and teach insts. at night.

[PhotoFlyer]

Thanks PhotoFlyer for the lesson in semantics. I knew there wasn't much night flying so I was just trying to figure out how I'm going to get another 140 hours of night time (200 hours night needed for a lot of EMS jobs) if I go to the gulf this year. I do very little if any night flying now so I'm trying to think ahead to the future. Any suggestions?

 

The companies I've talked to (Careflight, Omniflight, Air Evac, and some smaller operators) have all said they can be flexible with the night time if the pilot meets all the other requirements.

 

Perhaps you could find a part time CFI job nearby, like HeloJVB suggested.

[delorean]

Most EMS companies require 100 hrs of night time. It's for CAMTS and insurance. And, as far as I know, is not very flexible.

 

When my company went to CAMTS standards several years ago, I had less than 2 months to meet the requirements or I was off flight status and until I got the additional time doing pt. 91 stuff. I was short on the 500 hrs of turbine time (had zero when I started), but they let me fly around just burning gas everyday until I met that minimum. Hit 500 hrs 2-days before I the deadline luckily.

[helonorth]

In 14 months I have accrued a grand total of 0 hours at night. We are not even allowed to

reposition aircraft after dark. I had a friend at PHI who flew some nights, though. All in

all, night time in the GOM is very rare.

[BillyBob]

The companies I've talked to (Careflight, Omniflight, Air Evac, and some smaller operators) have all said they can be flexible with the night time if the pilot meets all the other requirements.

 

Perhaps you could find a part time CFI job nearby, like HeloJVB suggested.

 

 

Photo,

When they spoke about being 'flexible' did they give you any ideas?

 

Thanks

[PhotoFlyer]

They didn't give any hard numbers, but I suspect they would cut it down to the minimum CAMTS standard if theirs was higher.