1st Night Flight

[VFR Transit]

Afternoon All

Can anyone tell me what I can expect from my first Night Flight with an instructor??? I am flying a PA28 from a grass strip and has edge lighting only. Does anyone have any hint's tips and pointers for Night Fliying???

Thanks
VFR

[S-Works]

I suggest you locate yourself a copy of the "Night Flying Manual and Syllabus" written by R Campbell. An AOPA publication available from most good sources.

A ver well written manual that will give you the information you need.

Other than that, don't flare until the lights are round your ears.

[what next]

Hello!

Does anyone have any hint's tips and pointers for Night Fliying???

I don't know about the requirements in the UK, but in my part of the world it is required to have two flashlights/torches on board for night time flying. So just in case your instructor forgets to bring his, better take along two yourself ;-) You will need a torch for your outside check too, best thing is to carry it on a lanyard around your neck so you can't misplace it.

For map and/or instrument reading, a red light is better than a white one becuase it dosen't harm your night vision (there is much controversy about this point, but I still believe it). The ideal package is a bright white torch for the outside work and a dim red one for the cockpit. LED flashlights are ideal because the batteries last so much longer!

For the rest, I would leave everything to the instructor, he knows the specific combination of aerodrome and aeroplane better than any textbook. For the landings, I use to teach beginners not to flare, but out of a long, stabilised final reduce the rate of sink to something like 200 ft/min by applying a little power and just wait for the aeroplane to land by itself. With a PA28 this gives very smooth landings, even if you misjudge your height - but this technique only works with long enough runways.

Enjoy the experience!
Max

[BackPacker]

As far as I'm concerned, this is required equipment:

- Petzl TacTikka (PETZL (http://en.petzl.com/petzl/LampesProduits?Produit=482):)): A headlamp with LEDs, runs on 3 AAA batteries forever. Three brightness levels for outside work and an integrated flip-over red filter for in-cockpit use.
- Mini-Maglite - the dual AA type (2-Cell AA (http://www.maglite.com/product.asp?psc=2AACELL)). As a spare, and for looking through holes into the cowling and things where you need a concentrated beam of light. Attach to a lanyard or attach a pocket clip so that you don't lose it in the cockpit. (Accessory Pack > Accessories (http://www.maglite.com/product_acc.asp?id=923875987435983&plc=AACELL&psc=2AACELL))

Learn what all the knobs that have to do with lighting do. Not just to turn the external lights on, but also the various knobs that dim your interior lights. Check dimmers and internal lights as part of your preflight.

Plan your flight religiously. Night flying in busy, tight airspace requires more of your mental capacity than day flying, initially at least. Planning your flight literally "on the fly" or doing an unplanned diversion is very hard, not in the least since your map will be harder to read regardless of what type of lighting you're using.

Use whatever radio/radar service is available. It is easier to get lost in the dark and blunder into someones airspace. Plus, solo night flying can make you feel incredibly alone and it really helps to hear another human voice answering your "radio check".

If you plan to do visual navigation, make sure you select objects that are easy to see in the dark. Powerlines, railway lines and such make for very bad landmarks at night. Lighted or busy motorways and cities are much better. Waterways and coastlines can be used provided it's a moonlit, cloudless night.

[Fright Level]

a red light is better than a white one becuase it dosen't harm your night vision (there is much controversy about this point, but I still believe it)

There is nothing controversial about the operation of the rods and cones in one's eyes is well documented and fact. Once night vision is established, it's vital to keep it, hence the need for a red illumination.

[kalleh]

Please note that the contrast of essential features on many maps illuminated with red light is almost zero. Never quite gotten red light work for me 100% of the time in the cockpit. So of of those led flashlights with both red and white light can be handy.

[Pace]

VFRtransit

Open the throttle and follow the stream of lights in front of you. Make sure they are the correct lights as you may frighten a lot of people if they are not.

As you rotate do not panic when everything goes black. You have not experienced blindness.

Watch the instruments for your speed and attitude. The instructor may have fun with you by switching off all the panel lights. Again dont panic.

You will notice that the engine will sound as if its about to give up the Ghost at night, again dont panic but fit ear plugs so you cannot here it.

As you level off you may see many city lights. You may not if you accidently run into clouds without seeing them in that case without full instrument training again you may see many lights. If they are sporadic rather than in groups and you can see the milky way chances are you have rolled inverted.

Distances can be misleading. Make sure that London is London and not Paris that you are heading for.

In the event of an engine failure dont worry. You can only go down so will without doubt be on terra firma soon.
I know you may worry about what you might hit so turn off your landing lights and head for a big black area.

This will save a lot of anxiety seeing rock faces flying past the plane.

Turn on the lights and hopefully you may see a field.

If not think positively about how you will never be nagged by the wife again or have to worry about your finances.

Finally if you make it back to what you think are the approach lights make sure you are not landing down a busy street. Landing is a doddle as you do not experience the usual anxiety levels of seeing the ground rushing up at you and will only know about it when the plane bounces 20 foot into the air or stalls.

If you need more advice I have plenty to give.

Pace

[VFR Transit]

Wow Pace that is exactly what I was looking for :ok: I was nervous about my first night flight, but after reading your well thought out post, I am all clam and relaxed.

Thanks again.
VFR :}

[Pace]

I was nervous about my first night flight, but after reading your well thought out post, I am all clam and relaxed.

Thanks again.
VFR

When you have read the rest listen to the best :) Highly technical highly relaxing and a load of rubbish :) but main mesage chill, enjoy and whats the worst that can happen? You may take off and realise you forgot the instructor in your checklist?

Pace

NB dont forget the night vision glasses and the wind up pink pig emergency torches that dont need batteries.

[Nibbler]

Just completed my night rating :)

1st lesson was just a famil flight with fairly long brief
2nd navigation flight
3rd ccts
4th my ccts - 5/6 stop and go's
5th was another nav flight

The thing that has stuck in my mind was the question on the the first flight "so what would you do if the engine failed?"

Have fun it's great!

[172driver]

Other than Pace's excellent post :D, one bit of advice my instructor gave me - upon landing (just before the flare and through it), look out the side window and not ahead. This gives you a much better appreciation on how high you really are above an unlit rwy, as it's pretty much impossible to judge your height looking ahead into the black void.... Works for me.

[what next]

Hello!

Fright Level: There is nothing controversial about the operation of the rods and cones in one's eyes is well documented and fact. Once night vision is established, it's vital to keep it, hence the need for a red illumination.

That's what I was tought, too. But through my amateur astronomy hobby, I was confronted with other opinions, like the one expressed here: Night Vision - The Red Myth (http://stlplaces.com/night_vision_red_myth/). Honestly, I don't know what to believe... The (quite modern) aeroplanes (C560) that I'm mostly flying do not have red lighting, but dimmable white lights as this article suggests.

Greetings, Max

[RatherBeFlying]

One of the problems with using red light is that the roads don't show on the map (at least the ones in Canada).

And yes, roads are visible at night, courtesy of the traffic on them.

Conversely you can see the railroads on the map, but trains are fewer; so, are hard to spot on the ground at night.

Oh yes, three mile finals from 500' can get you more intimate with the trees than you might like. Night is a good time to fly a tight circuit.

If you can't see lights on the ground or stars, most likely you're inside a cloud;)

[flybymike]

I respectfully suggest that if you do not commence the flare until "the lights are round your ears," you will be underground.;)

[ShyTorque]

With regard to how to judge the flare, it's important to get the visual aspect of the landing area and lights fixed in your mind.

The best way to do this is: Before takeoff, line up, hold and assess what the edge lights look like. That's what you need to see just as the aircraft is touching down.

[Mark1234]

Brush up and learn how to use navaids - not just homing, but tracking particular radials, in and out, and fixing with cross bearings. Much more important/useful at night. Dunno about there, but here, at least 1 VOR/NDB is part of the night equipment requirements, AND you have to be endorsed to use them as part of the night rating.

Be aware that the lights/flare picture is very variable - at a wide runway you'll feel like the lights *are* around your ears... at a narrower strip, you'll dig a big hole doing the same.

Check the suction gauge regularly and trust the instruments first, last and in the middle. Illusions do happen, particularly if you're in a black hole.

Beyond the first lesson or two: I aim to plan high, and route via areas that give you better options. Short on airspace here, so I'll typically plan 7000+, and route via airfields (which tend to co-incide with navaids) Gives more thinking time, and a better chance of being able to aim for a runway in the worst case.

Above all, enjoy it.. it's a fantastic feeling.