Terrain Avoidance at Night

vincent p. norris wrote:
Now that I have moved out West (Phoenix) I am increasingly
paranoid about hitting terrain at night.

Any "systems" or tricks to share?

Descend over lit checkpoints, whether that be an airport or the
neighboring city. It's that simple. I'll never descend over darkness.

That is good advice. However, in the military, a procedure we used,
for example in approaching Albuquerque, was to hold cruise altitude
until ABQ's lights came into view. Then continue for a minute or
two, and then start a gradual let-down keeping ABQ's lights in the
same position (the way we hold the runway end in constant position
when on long final). So long as the lights are in view like that,
there is nothing solid between the airplane and the lights.

vince norris

That would work too. I teach landings practically the same way, if you
hold the runway in the same position as your straight-ahead reference,
and maintain airspeed while you come down, you'll hit right where
you're pointing.

Coming into ABQ from the east at night would certainly be something I'd
watch myself do, that's one heck of a ridge out there.