About 10 years ago people in the Alps used to be a bit too wishy washy about calling in helicopters for my UK trad tastes. I've only ever seen the yellow taxi called, or called it in myself in this country when there's been blood or a broken limb, or just that weird unique horrible smell you get from a compound fracture that I hope I never smell again.
These guys in the alps were calling for a heli pick up because a storm was about to blow in.
But the pilots were always awesome, and would rather they were called out to get you sooner rather than later.
Charging people is just going to mean the poor pilots get less notice to respond to rescues, because the rescuees wait that crucial bit more to see if the weather passes.
But you know, at £150 an hour for a lawyer alone, are they really going to persue a 300 euro debt in a foreign court over a civil law matter?
Post edited at 22:12