wrote in message ...
How long does it take to comfortabley fly at night and how do those of
you that fly at night navigate in the dark?

Or I guess a better question is what techniques do you use at night to
navigate that are different then how you navigate during the day?


I have had the same question about scuba diving and flying at night from
those that think that diving at night brings out the really big man-eaters.

I have never hesitated to fly or dive at night, I find that both diving and
flying have some incredibly beautiful sights that can only be seen at night.
Most of my flying has been in the state of Florida where I don't really
have to worry about bumping into a mountain, but I do have to be more
aware of my surroundings.
I study the charts a little more carefully for height clearances of towers
and other such objects that stick up into the sky.
But the reality is that if you are flying on a clear night and you dim your
interior lights as much as possible, I think you'll find that you can many
times spot other planes quicker at night because of the navigation lights.

Most major roads are easier to follow at night because they really stick
out with all the car lights and lanes.
There are however parts of Florida that you should be on instruments
to fly over at night because of the inability to distinguish ground from
sky, for example the Everglades while flying south to the Florida Keys.

Given the option, I much rather fly at night than during the day.
But that of course is in Florida, I don't know if I would feel that
way in lets say Colorado or someplace really mountainous with
very few lights to shine the way.

David