Night Flying

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.

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

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...

"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

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.

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

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

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

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

VE

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