Night Flying

[Fred Choate]

Hey Folks....

I go outside after dark a lot, usually to enjoy the outside air. Last night
I realized that I don't generally see a lot of GA at night in my area. I am
curious as to the feeling of this group on flying at night. I am talking
about VFR.

For discussion purposes, I know that when I take a trip in my car, I enjoy
driving at night. It is cooler, there is less traffic, the car seems to
perform better...etc. I would say that many of those same things would
apply to flying at night. Now, I realize the safety issues, and that isn't
the point of my question (for all of you that are going to say DON"T FLY AT
NIGHT). But, for performance issues, and other things, I wonder how many
pilots have considered flying a cross county at night vs. during the day.

Fred

[buttman]

When its dark, you can't see anything. One of the things that attracts
people to flying is being able to see things from high above.

Also, during my first night cross country back when I was getting my
private, I remember my instructor telling me "If we lose an engine,
we're pretty much screwed"

[Fred Choate]

Right.....

I realize why a lot of VFR pilots don't fly at night. But, considering the
route....obviously it would be safer to fly some routes than others.

I mentioned that to a Horizon pilot once....the "not being able to see
anything" deal. He brought up the argument that over urban areas, you
actually can see quite a bit. You can see the cities, the freeways, runways
from distances, things like that. Now, that is in a populated area, for
instance out here in the Pacific Northwest. But say in Montana, once you
leave the vicinity of your airport, you are in the dark for sure, and
runways are few and far between.

But what about flying areas that are a bit more congested where you don't
have mountains to run into, and lots of airports around. I can't say that I
wouldn't consider it when planning a cross country........but it would
certainly depend on the route, terrain, and things like that. From the
Seattle area here, one could fly the I-5 corridor to Portland, and have an
out (the freeway) in case of an engine failure, but also many lighted strips
along the way, as well as many cities for landmarks......

Fred

"buttman" > wrote in message
ups.com...
> When its dark, you can't see anything. One of the things that attracts
> people to flying is being able to see things from high above.
>
> Also, during my first night cross country back when I was getting my
> private, I remember my instructor telling me "If we lose an engine,
> we're pretty much screwed"
>

[Seth Masia]

I enjoy flying at night, if it's over terrain I'm familiar with, and if the
weather is clear. Over congested airspace, like California's central
valley, you can see other aircraft many miles away, and it's reassuring to
see airport beacons spotted across the landscape in all directions. Night
over mountains isn't fun unless you have plenty of altitude and can see the
airport beacon in the next valley -- within gliding range. In clear weather
it's easy to follow major highways from town to town.

Night over water is even more intimidating.

Spatial disorientation is a potential problem, and so are optical illusions.
On a long night solo, battling fatigue, I once mistook Sirius for an
oncoming landing light and took evasive action.

If you're going to make a habit of this, it's a good idea to get the
instrument rating.

Seth
Comanche N8100R

[Tony]

I fly SEL at night (in IMC as well) because sometimes my schedule
demands it. It's also often really beautiful at night: moonlit
landscapes or cloud tops are wonderful, and it's rarely so dark there's
no view. FWIW, however, it's the unusual case for me to fly at night
under VFR. I almost always file an IFR flight plan (but do that in the
daytime, too: it's much easier getting into busy airports that way).

Then there's this: those with an instrument rating will understand.
Sometimes the ceiling is flat and just above minimums with good
visibility below. There's nothing quite as exciting to be in the clouds
at night, break out at 200 feet and have the runway and lead in lights
right there, right where they should be. A half mile at an average
speed of say 80 means you go from solid instruments to in the flare in
20 seconds. The best word I can think of for that experience is "neat!"

[Fred Choate]

That sounds pretty cool.....I will be going for instrument rating later this
year, or early next year. I am looking forward to it.
As for breaking out and seeing the runway lights.....does that ever give you
a sight problem? Going from instruments to those bright lights all of a
sudden?

Fred

"Tony" > wrote in message
ups.com...
>I fly SEL at night (in IMC as well) because sometimes my schedule
> demands it. It's also often really beautiful at night: moonlit
> landscapes or cloud tops are wonderful, and it's rarely so dark there's
> no view. FWIW, however, it's the unusual case for me to fly at night
> under VFR. I almost always file an IFR flight plan (but do that in the
> daytime, too: it's much easier getting into busy airports that way).
>
> Then there's this: those with an instrument rating will understand.
> Sometimes the ceiling is flat and just above minimums with good
> visibility below. There's nothing quite as exciting to be in the clouds
> at night, break out at 200 feet and have the runway and lead in lights
> right there, right where they should be. A half mile at an average
> speed of say 80 means you go from solid instruments to in the flare in
> 20 seconds. The best word I can think of for that experience is "neat!"
>

[Dave S]

I've got about 100 or so night VFR hours.. most of them are XC.. 450 TT.

Dave

Fred Choate wrote:

> Hey Folks....
>
> I go outside after dark a lot, usually to enjoy the outside air. Last night
> I realized that I don't generally see a lot of GA at night in my area. I am
> curious as to the feeling of this group on flying at night. I am talking
> about VFR.
>
> For discussion purposes, I know that when I take a trip in my car, I enjoy
> driving at night. It is cooler, there is less traffic, the car seems to
> perform better...etc. I would say that many of those same things would
> apply to flying at night. Now, I realize the safety issues, and that isn't
> the point of my question (for all of you that are going to say DON"T FLY AT
> NIGHT). But, for performance issues, and other things, I wonder how many
> pilots have considered flying a cross county at night vs. during the day.
>
> Fred
>
>

[Fred Choate]

Do you purposely plan your flights for night? If so, why?

Fred


"Dave S" > wrote in message
ink.net...
> I've got about 100 or so night VFR hours.. most of them are XC.. 450 TT.
>
> Dave
>
> Fred Choate wrote:
>
>> Hey Folks....
>>
>> I go outside after dark a lot, usually to enjoy the outside air. Last
>> night I realized that I don't generally see a lot of GA at night in my
>> area. I am curious as to the feeling of this group on flying at night.
>> I am talking about VFR.
>>
>> For discussion purposes, I know that when I take a trip in my car, I
>> enjoy driving at night. It is cooler, there is less traffic, the car
>> seems to perform better...etc. I would say that many of those same
>> things would apply to flying at night. Now, I realize the safety issues,
>> and that isn't the point of my question (for all of you that are going to
>> say DON"T FLY AT NIGHT). But, for performance issues, and other things,
>> I wonder how many pilots have considered flying a cross county at night
>> vs. during the day.
>>
>> Fred
>>
>>
>

[Fred Choate]

I guess my previous post was silly....of course you purposely plan them for
night, but what I am getting at, is do you compare the route to a daytime
flight and do you decide to fly at night for any particular reason...


Fred

[Blanche]

For those of us in the southwest USA, evening/night flying is
often the best flying. (Assuming the Tstorms are gone). Temps are
not 90s,100s,110s, air is calm, less traffic, easier to see what
traffic is around, ATC is less busy and more agreeable to
"sightseeing" routes, etc.

I'm not IFR rated so when I'm away from the city on a long
flight, I stay in visual contact with major highways as a safety
item.

[David Herman]

"Fred Choate" > wrote in message
...
> Right.....
>
> I realize why a lot of VFR pilots don't fly at night. But, considering
> the route....obviously it would be safer to fly some routes than others.
>
> I mentioned that to a Horizon pilot once....the "not being able to see
> anything" deal. He brought up the argument that over urban areas, you
> actually can see quite a bit. You can see the cities, the freeways,
> runways from distances, things like that. Now, that is in a populated
> area, for instance out here in the Pacific Northwest. But say in Montana,
> once you leave the vicinity of your airport, you are in the dark for sure,
> and runways are few and far between.
>
> But what about flying areas that are a bit more congested where you don't
> have mountains to run into, and lots of airports around. I can't say that
> I wouldn't consider it when planning a cross country........but it would
> certainly depend on the route, terrain, and things like that. From the
> Seattle area here, one could fly the I-5 corridor to Portland, and have an
> out (the freeway) in case of an engine failure, but also many lighted
> strips along the way, as well as many cities for landmarks......

Fred,

As a strictly fair-weather (VFR only!) pilot flying a very modest airplane,
I simply have a separate set of personal minimums for night flying. They're
different from my rules for day flying.

* No flights over areas with little or no lights on the ground
* No flights over the mountains
* No flights over water
* No flights over wilderness
* No flights if there's ANY clouds or significant potential for clouds along
or near my route
* No flights if there's a small (or narrowing) temp/dew point spread
* No flights without full tanks (I rarely fly down much beyond 1/3 tanks in
the day time - at night I will not go below 1/2)

That does indeed limit me quite a bit. That's fine with me.

In fact, I pretty much limit myself to the I-5 corridor. I've done flights
along this corridor from Bellingham to Portland, and feel comfortable doing
so - as long as it's completely clear out and looks like it's definitely
going to stay that way. From a practical standpoint, almost all my night
flying has been coming home along this route. So if I have a long day
flying over the Cascades to central Washington and know I might not make it
home before dark, I will plan things to make sure that by the time it gets
dark, I'm within sight of I-5, and will follow it home. Usually I end up
landing at Kelso or Chehalis for fuel as darkness falls, and come home in
full darkness for the last hour. I see plenty of places where I couild land
in a pinch along that route.

I agree, on a clear night, as long as my criteria are met, flying at night
is beautiful and serene. If my criteria can't be met, I won't do it. I've
talked with guys that don't think twice about routinely charging off over
the mountains in a little plane just like mine, but I won't do it.

Hope that helps.

David Herman
N6170T 1965 Cessna 150E
Boeing Field (BFI), Seattle, WA
http://www.pacificnorthwestflying.com

[George Patterson]

Fred Choate wrote:
>
> But, for performance issues, and other things, I wonder how many
> pilots have considered flying a cross county at night vs. during the day.

I've never opted for night versus day for performance reasons, but I've made
quite a few cross-country night flights in light singles for other reasons.

George Patterson
Why do men's hearts beat faster, knees get weak, throats become dry,
and they think irrationally when a woman wears leather clothing?
Because she smells like a new truck.

[Mortimer Schnerd, RN]

Fred Choate wrote:
> I guess my previous post was silly....of course you purposely plan them for
> night, but what I am getting at, is do you compare the route to a daytime
> flight and do you decide to fly at night for any particular reason...


Yeah, to get somewhere after working all day, I'd fly at night. Since I do
radio navigation primarily, I don't really care if it's day or night. I've even
flown over water extensively at night in a single. The airplane doesn't know
what it's flying over.

There is a certain amount of truth to the old advice of what to do if you lose
an engine at night: set up best glide, then when you think you're getting close
to the surface, turn on your landing light. If you like what you see, go ahead
and land. If you don't like what you see, turn off the light.

As for fuel, if you're worried about it, you don't have enough.




--
Mortimer Schnerd, RN

[Dave S]

I live on the Texas Gulf Coast (No mountains, towers top out around 2500
MSL max)

My overriding "concern" is ground fog formation in the early AM. My
specialty "issue" is to monitor dew point spreads and visibilities
enroute, to make sure I dont box myself into a corner. I listen to every
ATIS/ASOS I pass over enroute, and actively flight follow. I'm always
talking to somebody, and I always know where I am, usually by a minimum
of two methods, sometimes 3.. (visual, VOR's, GPS)

Other than that, I have no overriding "concern" about flying at night.
My ex-wife characterized me as a flashlight collector, and I used to fly
with no less than 4 of various types, AND a chem-stic or two. Never had
the need to use one except to look at charts. I keep a battery op GPS
and Handheld in the aircraft as well.. I dont land with less than an
hour of fuel at night.. and in my typical flight, that does not affect
my utility at all. I will fully fuel (4-5 hours fuel) for a 2 hour flight.

I am VERY selective about the aircraft I fly at night. Yes, I rent, but
every aircraft I fly at night I have flown in the daytime, and I have
"fired" an aircraft on more than one occasion for poor upkeep. Crappy
radios, recurrent squawks that "cant be duplicated" involving
instruments, radios or electrics are deal breakers.

The aircraft I fly at night are well equipped for IFR, even though I am
not instrument rated. That being said, many night departures in VMC are
still only safely done on gauges (the "black hole" effect) until you
have a horizon. I have over 20 hours of legal ACTUAL IFR in the enroute
and approach setting (i was blessed with a good instructor who knew how
to teach instruments, and had become comfortable with my simulated
performance). The aircraft I fly are maintained by people I know on a
first name basis, and who are owned by people I know on a first name
basis, and are in a flying club or rental fleet that is serious about
maintenance.

The majority of aircraft accidents are the result of pilot error.. so
the greatest "problem" in flying (day or night) is the pilot. Mechanical
failure is a distant second, and by being picky/choosy and actively
managing risk I push that probability even lower. I dont use my
instrument experience to push things, rather I use it as an ace in the hole.

Now, if you want to launch into night VFR with a tight dew point spread,
nearby terrain, in a poorly maintained, poorly equipped rental with
minimum fuel, you are rolling the dice. I gamble in the casinos.. you
may get away with something in the short term, but in the long run the
house always win.

I fly at night because I may have worked that day... or not had access
to the plane until the night, or I need to get somewhere (I dont
consider a solid VFR night flight a case of get-there-itis). I trained
at night, and for the longest time I worked at night, and would go fly
on my nights off. Once or twice had to wait for daylight to get back
home (fog), but that in itself was a learning experience.

I didnt get a pilots license to go fly only on clear sunday afternoons,
I got it to go places and do things. I'm not cavalier.. rather.. its
about educated decision making and active risk management. Each of us
flying is doing something risky. Hopefully each of us is doing it as
safely as possible for the circumstances involved.

Dave

Fred Choate wrote:

> I guess my previous post was silly....of course you purposely plan them for
> night, but what I am getting at, is do you compare the route to a daytime
> flight and do you decide to fly at night for any particular reason...
>
>
> Fred
>
>

[Tony]

Fred, runway and run-in lights near the threshold just aren't bright
enough to interfere with night vision. You'd also think changing focal
distance from 30 inches to the instruments to fractional miles might be
a problem, but I hadn't noticed it being an issue. What you will find
interesting is flying an ILS to minimums in a cross wind. As you get
close to your decision height and start including the windscreen in
your instrument scan -- I'm sure you'll be looking straight ahead --
you'll be surprised to see the runway lights way over to the side. It's
not a big deal, but after a while you'll find yourself noticing you're
10 or 15 degrees off the runway heading as you get lower, and you'll
start looking off to the correct side to see the threshold lights.

[Matt Whiting]

Fred Choate wrote:

> Hey Folks....
>
> I go outside after dark a lot, usually to enjoy the outside air. Last night
> I realized that I don't generally see a lot of GA at night in my area. I am
> curious as to the feeling of this group on flying at night. I am talking
> about VFR.
>
> For discussion purposes, I know that when I take a trip in my car, I enjoy
> driving at night. It is cooler, there is less traffic, the car seems to
> perform better...etc. I would say that many of those same things would
> apply to flying at night. Now, I realize the safety issues, and that isn't
> the point of my question (for all of you that are going to say DON"T FLY AT
> NIGHT). But, for performance issues, and other things, I wonder how many
> pilots have considered flying a cross county at night vs. during the day.
>
> Fred
>
>

I've flown several at night, both VFR and IFR. I love it. The only
downside is the occasional thought of engine failure. I tend to fly
higher at night and try to keep track of where the nearest airport is.


Matt

[Matt Whiting]

Fred Choate wrote:

> That sounds pretty cool.....I will be going for instrument rating later this
> year, or early next year. I am looking forward to it.
> As for breaking out and seeing the runway lights.....does that ever give you
> a sight problem? Going from instruments to those bright lights all of a
> sudden?

It can if you are in a large crab angle or don't have the wings level at
break-out, however, if you try to think about this beforehand and
picture where the runway will be when you break out, it seldom is a problem.


Matt

[Peter R.]

buttman > wrote:

> When its dark, you can't see anything. One of the things that attracts
> people to flying is being able to see things from high above.

You've obviously never flown over a snow-covered landscape with a full moon
above. :)

Regarding a full moon, one of my most memorable night-time flights involved
flying an Angel Flight mission from Philadelphia (Wings Field) to Boston
(Bedford).

We were over central Long Island when we spotted a lone thunderstorm cell
about 75 miles off, somewhere near Providence, Rhode Island. Lightening,
moving up and down the cell, lit it up beautifully. As if this weren't
enough, the full moon appeared and slowly rose above the cell. Surreal.

My camera was safely on my desk at home. :(

--
Peter


















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[Jay Honeck]

> But, for performance issues, and other things, I wonder how many
> pilots have considered flying a cross county at night vs. during the day.

I have not flown a night cross country in nine years. (My last one was
a complete success, but probably the dumbest thing I've ever done in an
airplane.)

Mary and I decided, for all of the reasons already discussed in this
thread, to not fly at night unless absolutely necessary until our kids
are grown. As a result, we have only flown a tiny hand-full of hours
at night in recent years.

Night flying is pretty, and -- if the weather cooperates -- smooth as
glass. However, if your engine craps (which single engine planes are
occasionally prone to do) you're toast.

Given all the other risks we take in our lives, we figured that this
was a pretty easy one to eliminate.

Once the kids are on their own, however, I won't have any compunctions
about flying in the dark again.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

[Mortimer Schnerd, RN]

Jay Honeck wrote:
> Night flying is pretty, and -- if the weather cooperates -- smooth as
> glass. However, if your engine craps (which single engine planes are
> occasionally prone to do) you're toast.


Not necessarily. I can think of several night crashes in rural eastern North
Carolina where the pilot walked away. Unlike my part of the state, there are a
lot of huge open fields in that area. Combined with some moonlight, I'd say you
have a pretty good shot at making it. In my part of the state, you're not
likely to be so lucky.

That being said, I thought of one cross country trip I used to make frequently,
and always at night by design: between Charlotte, NC and Lake City, FL.
Although getting a cab in Lake City after hours was always a PITA, arriving late
meant you got to arrive. If I waited until the early AM, ground fog ruined any
chance at all of getting in. And it's foggy there A LOT!




--
Mortimer Schnerd, RN

[Hotel 179]

"Fred Choate" > wrote in message
...
> Hey Folks....
>
> I go outside after dark a lot, usually to enjoy the outside air. Last
> night I realized that I don't generally see a lot of GA at night in my
> area. I am curious as to the feeling of this group on flying at night. I
> am talking about VFR.
-- -------------------------------reply---------------------------------------------------

Hello Fred and Everyone,

Greetings from hurricane central! It's pretty peaceful right now (1611Z) as
the wind has not increased considerably. A Cat 4 hurricane is a dangerous
thing but preparedness has been the key.

I'm a volunteer with the Civil Air Patrol and often get calls at night to
fly a mission that may take me on a cross-country over several hundred
miles. The preparation time for these flights can range from a call in the
middle of the night to a mission base with multiple sorties. Last night was
one of those middle of the night calls. Departing from Gulf Shores at 2:30
AM, I flew to Montgomery to pick-up equipment and personnel and provide
evacuation flow reports to the Emergency Operations Center to be used in
briefing the officials. It's a tad over an hour up there. Now, if you
don't know how much a tad is, you probably can't measure a smidge either.
Forget about a cat-angle. The sight of cars bumper to bumper for as far as
you can see in either direction on Interstate 10 was impressive, and this
was at 3 AM!

It is important to make a distinction between current and proficient. Get a
friend who is proficient in night flying and make a trip, hundred dollar
hamburger and all that. The controllers are usually not as busy and will
often chat....I rub it in to them that I'm up here and they're not. A call
to Flight Watch is always good for a friendly voice in the night.

See you on the net after the storm passes.


Stephen F. Pearce
Foley, Alabama

[Greg Farris]

There are nights where you see as well as in the day, and even better, because
you acn see cities and airports from many many miles away, and there are nights
where the sky is black as ink, and even though you still see the beacons, VFR is
less comfortable. It is made even less comfortable when you know that fog and
clouds can move in under you, without your knowing it until an advanced stage.
Night VFR pilots are always on the lookout for those halos around ground lights
- a sure sign that visibility is diminishing.

In night VFR, my biggest worry would be unseen obstacles when manoeuvering near
an unfamiliar airfield - particularly power lines, because they're
completely invisible under these conditions. If you're VFR into an airfield you
know well, there must be few pleasures in this world greater than night VFR, on
a calm, clear night.

G Faris

[Morgans]

"buttman" > wrote in message
ups.com...
> When its dark, you can't see anything. One of the things that attracts
> people to flying is being able to see things from high above.
>
> Also, during my first night cross country back when I was getting my
> private, I remember my instructor telling me "If we lose an engine,
> we're pretty much screwed"

That was an overstated and paranoid statement, me thinks. Only in some
situations, are you screwed. :-)

Some say at night, you can't see anything. I disagree. I love how the
little towns glitter like jewels. I like seeing the highways loaded with
cars, looking like ribbons of light, all droning along cursing the guy
blocking the fast lane, or.... You are overhead, going wherever you want,
except AIDZ's without permission <g>) with nobody blocking your way.

Airports stand out for miles, with an amazing number (in some regions) in
sight. Other airplane's lights can be seen for an amazing distance, but
there are fewer out there (at GA altitudes) than in the daytime.

No hot cockpits, and the cool air makes the plane leap off the runway, and
climb off into the sky with unusual vigor.

Be careful, limit your vulnerabilities, and go for it.
--
Jim in NC

[john smith]

Morgans wrote:
> Airports stand out for miles, with an amazing number (in some regions) in
> sight. Other airplane's lights can be seen for an amazing distance, but
> there are fewer out there (at GA altitudes) than in the daytime.

"Some" or "most" airports stand out for miles.
Those surrounded by development can be downright difficult, even when
you know exactly where to look.

[Wade]

Greg Farris wrote:
<snip>
> Night VFR pilots are always on the lookout for those halos around ground lights
> - a sure sign that visibility is diminishing.
>
> In night VFR, my biggest worry would be unseen obstacles when manoeuvering near
> an unfamiliar airfield - particularly power lines, because they're
> completely invisible under these conditions. If you're VFR into an airfield you
> know well, there must be few pleasures in this world greater than night VFR, on
> a calm, clear night.

Hmm, there's a full moon next week (Thursday, July 21).
Maybe, if the fog doesn't roll in, I'll go up and take a look :-)

[Andrew Sarangan]

Actually, you don't even need snow or a full moon. Just a partial moon or
star light is good enough. We often fly with too much cockpit lighting to
notice the outside. Next time you fly at night, turn off all cockpit
lights. Give your eyes plenty of time to get adjusted. You will be amazed
how much ground you can see. Only drawback is that you won't be able to see
your panel too well. I used to do this when I flew in New Mexico.



"Peter R." > wrote in
:

> buttman > wrote:
>
>> When its dark, you can't see anything. One of the things that
>> attracts people to flying is being able to see things from high
>> above.
>
> You've obviously never flown over a snow-covered landscape with a full
> moon above. :)
>
> Regarding a full moon, one of my most memorable night-time flights
> involved flying an Angel Flight mission from Philadelphia (Wings
> Field) to Boston (Bedford).
>
> We were over central Long Island when we spotted a lone thunderstorm
> cell about 75 miles off, somewhere near Providence, Rhode Island.
> Lightening, moving up and down the cell, lit it up beautifully. As if
> this weren't enough, the full moon appeared and slowly rose above the
> cell. Surreal.
>
> My camera was safely on my desk at home. :(
>

[Corky Scott]

On 14 Jul 2005 23:02:40 -0500, Andrew Sarangan
> wrote:

>Actually, you don't even need snow or a full moon. Just a partial moon or
>star light is good enough. We often fly with too much cockpit lighting to
>notice the outside. Next time you fly at night, turn off all cockpit
>lights. Give your eyes plenty of time to get adjusted. You will be amazed
>how much ground you can see. Only drawback is that you won't be able to see
>your panel too well. I used to do this when I flew in New Mexico.

Around here in northern New England there's one other drawback, if you
lose your engine you cannot see what you will hit when you attempt to
land and most of the land below you is famously hilly. I had two
night cross country flights during training and both were during
pretty dark nights. Yes the lights were pretty but it was really
sobering to realise how few options were available should the fan
stop.

Even crossing the mountain ranges in broad daylight is a flight of
considerable risk, akin to crossing a large body of water.

Things would be better of course during a full moon night, but trying
to match the full moon or even mostly full moon with good flying
weather is, this summer anyway, pretty tough.

Since I'm just flying for personal enjoyment, I've chosen to stay on
the ground during the night.

Corky Scott

[Darrel Toepfer]

Dave S wrote:

> I've got about 100 or so night VFR hours.. most of them are XC.. 450 TT.

28 night, 65 hours XC... 176 TT...

[three-eight-hotel]

Agreed... For VFR flying, a minimum of a partial moon is on the list
of my personal minimums, which include many of the other pm's mentioned
in previous posts. I'm IFR, but that doesn't do a lot of good when you
can't see anything in a "less than partial panel" situation, with no
airports close by...

Seeing a major city's downtown lit up at night is quite a sight!

There's the added bonus of smoother air, like in those early morning
flights we all love...

[Jay Honeck]

> 28 night, 65 hours XC... 176 TT...

That's a pretty impressive percentage of night flying.

I've got around 970 TT, maybe 425 XC -- but only around <20 hours at night.

All those years of getting up at 4:30 AM just meant not staying up past
sunset, I guess!

;-)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

[Darrel Toepfer]

Jay Honeck wrote:

>>28 night, 65 hours XC... 176 TT...
>
> That's a pretty impressive percentage of night flying.
>
> I've got around 970 TT, maybe 425 XC -- but only around <20 hours at night.
>
> All those years of getting up at 4:30 AM just meant not staying up past
> sunset, I guess!

See quite a few sunrises, lots more sunsets...

Great thing about night flying if you don't like what you see, turn of
the light...

One thing about extended flights, the headband light starts to hurt
before the headset does...