It's February.

[Gomer Pylot]

And the weather sucks. It was a long hitch in the GOM, fog every day, sit around waiting for someplace onshore to get good enough to be used as an IFR alternate, then fly your rear end off IFR, because everybody is behind because of the weather. I flew one short VFR trip between platforms, 400/1, and the rest was all IFR, much of it in the clag. I HATE FEBRUARY!!! It's always this way, the worst weather of the year, and it's always a surprise to the oil companies. They don't seem to understand why we can't fly 120 NM offshore IFR, and still carry 12 pax in an S76. Add in a brand-new, low-time cojo, no weather reporting, no radio communications with ATC, and it sometimes seems more effort than it's worth. But an ILS to minimums, with the runway straight ahead 1/4 mile away when you get down to MDA, helps make it more satisfying.

[Gunner]

And the weather sucks. It was a long hitch in the GOM, fog every day, sit around waiting for someplace onshore to get good enough to be used as an IFR alternate, then fly your rear end off IFR, because everybody is behind because of the weather. I flew one short VFR trip between platforms, 400/1, and the rest was all IFR, much of it in the clag. I HATE FEBRUARY!!! It's always this way, the worst weather of the year, and it's always a surprise to the oil companies. They don't seem to understand why we can't fly 120 NM offshore IFR, and still carry 12 pax in an S76. Add in a brand-new, low-time cojo, no weather reporting, no radio communications with ATC, and it sometimes seems more effort than it's worth. But an ILS to minimums, with the runway straight ahead 1/4 mile away when you get down to MDA, helps make it more satisfying.

 

 

Sounds tough.... but very satisfying! I'm stuck in the cubicle during the grey days of February.... It may be gross and unflyable out but I'm passing the time by working on the CFI binder.

 

Be safe out there in that offshore IFR.