Comment Once again, short-sighted (Score 1) 119
The no night flying restriction is incredibly myopic when it comes to search & rescue operations. As an 8-year veteran of SAR ops, I can tell you that most searches start at night. Why? Because it's only after it gets dark that the reporting party decides that they need help. We never ever delay an initial response for daylight hours. Low-cost FLIR cameras are starting to become available. And I'm certainly not going to submit a flight plan 24 hours in advance. 87% of all searches are resolved in the first 12 hours. For this administration to tie one hand behind our backs is further evidence that Washington knows nothing about what goes on in the real world. I have the same opinion towards the line-of-sight rule. We may need to get eyes on in a remote canyon that we can't see from a decent launch point or it might take several hours to hike up to where we would have line-of-sight.
Granted that this is all supposed to be about commercial flying but try convincing some bureaucrat that SAR ops are not. For evidence I point you towards the recent FAA/Texas Equusearch dust up. Personally, I would enjoy introducing said bureaucrat to the family of a missing 3-yr old with the following words, "Allow me to introduce Mr. Head-up-his-ass who won't allow us to use every tool to find your child."