Recreational pilots fear plans to charge for aviation weather forecasts will lead to more accidents and deaths.

The MetFlight service is used by nearly 6000 pilots of small craft, but at the end of the month the free service turns user pays.

With around one in five accidents weather related, there are fears that user pays will mean that some pilots will put costs before safety.

Pilot Steve Perreau told ONE News that pilots need more information than what they can get from free forecasts.

“We need to know about wind and layers … turbulence, icing”.

Sponsorship of Metflight had come from the Civil Aviation Authority. But the CAA says the sponsorship was only a temporary measure to get the service up and running.

The service will still be available on a user pays basis with an annual subscription fee of $95 plus GST.

Bill Sommers of CAA says “aviation safety is an individual responsibility” and it’s up to pilots to pay for proper forecasts.

But Perreau fears that without proper forecasts everyone’s safety is at risk.

The New Zealand Aviation Federation says there are hundreds of pilots who say they won’t pay, instead opting to rely on anecdotal reports or general forecasts.

While Perreau is willing to pay the fee others question why they should be charged when boaties and trampers get free forecasts.

But with out sponsorship Metservice says it is under no obligation to provide free aviation forecasts.

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