flying in the dark

[Pilot16]

Hi!!

Im starting on my night qualification, well i hope so depending whether the weather will allow me sometimes soon :rolleyes:

Just wanted any tips/suggestion from nightflyers on this board...

I have just braught a Blue Led Light on advise from this forum (that white light will cause glare), i think it will be v. useful in the cockpit...do i need anything else? (I know a white maglight is useful, but that can be baught after completeing PPL)

How many people here combined a night rating with PPL?
If any one did do it (which im sure there are), Id like to know what you did for your 1 hour solo navigation requirement, please

Im sure it's tough doing VFR navigation in the dark since its difficult to see anything down there...so im assuming people here used instrument nav aids such as local VOR/s and/or NDB/s to find there way out and back or assist them....how was your experience and did you use any instruments?

P16

[MLS-12D]

Hello Pilot16,

I'm not a very experienced nighttime pilot, so I won't presume to offer personal advice; rather, I'll just point out that there are some decent books out there that are worth perusing.

The best ones (I think) are Len Buckwalter, "The Pilot's Night Flying Handbook" (1976), and Paul Garrison, "Night Flying In Single Engine Airplanes" (1979). Both are from the USA and are more than 20 years old, but most of their contents will be helpful to you; and because they are older, they are available at low cost from used booksellers.

Lewis Bjork has written a newer book called "Piloting at Night" (1998) that is also pretty good, but relatively expensive. "Night Flying" by Courtney L. Flatau (1990) is also fairly pricy and not very useful, IMHO.

There are a few articles on-line that you can access for free:

(1) http://www.avweb.com/news/columns/182218-1.html
(2) http://www.avweb.com/news/airman/182402-1.html
(3) http://www.avweb.com/news/avtraining/182025-1.html
(4) http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/6182/night.pdf
(5) http://www.tc.gc.ca/aviation/syssafe/newsletters/letter/asl-400/english/216_e.htm
(6) http://www.tc.gc.ca/aviation/syssafe/newsletters/letter/asl2_2001/english/251_e.htm

Finally, here are a couple of non-technical novels that decribe the night x-country flying experience: Richard Bach, "Stranger to the Ground" (1963), and Antoine de Saint-Exupery, "Night Flight" (1932).

MLS-12D

[Keef]

Actually, blue light isn't ideal for night vision retention. You'd have been better off with a red LED light.

Not sure how significant the difference is, mind. I bought a load of red LED lights and have managed to lose them all :-(

[Aussie Andy]

MLS-12D - the links were interesting, onlye one of these appears to not work any longer: http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/6182/night.pdf

Andy

[MLS-12D]

Hi Andy,

Sorry the link doesn't work for you. It's a two page article from the USA on physiological factors.

I would copy and paste the contents here, but it is in PDF format.

MLS-12D

[juswonnafly]

P16........

The real problem with using red or blue lights is that a significant proportion of map detail will not be visible. Most people get around this by marking detailed areas with black highlighter (what a pain!). Personally I use (and teach with) a standard torch and just cover up the light with my fingers if it is too bright!

Of more importance........carry at least two (preferably 3) torches when night flying. This will allow for either broken filament, flat batteries, dropped torch down side of seat, etc, etc. Cheap ones from Woolworths will do just fine (about 99p each).

There is no actual requirement for solo nav at night (but hey, it's fun!).

There is NO VFR at night, I imagine you meant VMC. You will actually be surprised at how easy night nav really is (many would say easier than daytime!). You will be surprised at how the shape of towns,cities etc resembles the shape on the map much more so than in daylight. Or course radionav kit is useful, but don't get too hung up on it.

Lastly, your own instructor is probably the best person to ask for further advice. Enjoy your night flying course and let us know how you get on.

Happy Landings

JWF

[Davidt]

Night nav in your local area is easy on a clear night and great fun however IMHO you should do or combine your night with an IMC.

You cannot seriously go en route at night without.

An IMC will add tremendously to your skill and connfidence.

Have fun :O

[formationfoto]

A maglight type torch with red filter is valuable and you will find that instruments etc. wil be visible with red light. Map reading is a little more difficult with red as certain features will be difficult to identify. A low wattage white bulb is better for this purpose. Always carry a spare and ideally a spare for ythe spare. Not just batteries but a whole spare torch.


Nigh rating can be lots of fun.

For Visual navigation large cites can look much closer than they are so in some areas misidentification is easy. Some nights from overhead Norwich I can make out the lights of London. Now I have myself calibrated though Night visual navigation is surprisingly easy.

[TangoZulu]

I am doing my night rating now - about half way through and my assembled thoughts (for what they are worth) and posted here.

I bought (well had as a Xmas pressie) one of the new miniature LED head torches - v.lightweight and can easily be worn with headset - just remember to put it on before you start. Works really well although a bit bright - but cover the torch with grey gaffa tape and it produces just the right light level when the charming instructor in the RHS turns all the lights out!! I really like it as all I have to do is reach up, turn it on and then concentrate on the important bit -flying!

Navi is great at night - best if you can go reaosnably high - did one last Sat where we went up to about 5500ft and the towns stand out really well and are very easy to identify

Agree wiht the advice above to get an IMc first - just as well the other day when I went off to do some circuits with the cloud reported as broken at 1200 ft - first time I have flown the visual circuit at 1000ft solely by reference to the instruments - not surprisingly we landed soon after! However it does make sense as you cannot really see the cloud at night and having the IMC (and being in recent practice) made it a real non-event.

TZ :D

[MLS-12D]

Am I missing something?

[Go-Around]

Get a decent torch. Take a spare. Take another spare.
Electrical failure at night is not fun :=

[FlyingForFun]

Not much to add to what's already been said. (I know - that's unusual for me! But I don't have very much time at night, so best to let others do the talking!)

Only one thing, though, is that, in the UK, finding places to fly from, especially at weekends, is a pain. My airfield don't do night flying at weekends. Neither does my next nearest. My third nearest airport night-fly seven days a week, which is great, except they don't like non-regulars night-flying because of the trees on final which become invisible at night. So I ended up at my fourth-nearest airfield, which is a pain. Even more of a pain because they close at 6pm, which means a maximum of around an hour and a half night flying - much less at the start/end of the night-flying season. And it's pretty much impossible to do night cross countries unless I stay away from home overnight and fly back the next morning.

This is one area where America definitely has an advantage!

FFF
-----------

[QNH 1013]

MLS-12D

All night flights in UK airspace have to be flown IFR even when the weather is VMC. The night rating (or whatever it is now called) in the UK is an "add-on" to the basic licence and doesn't require any instrument (IR or IMC) rating although there is compulsary extra instrument training in the night rating course.

However, flight under IFR in controlled airspace does require an instrument (IR or IMC) rating so a UK pilot with only a basic licence plus night rating has to request a SVFR (special VFR) clearance to enter controlled (typically class D) airspace and land at an aerodrome within that airspace if he or she is flying at night.

I assume from your comment that VFR flight is allowed at night as well as during the day in America. Am I correct?

[BayAreaLondoner]

QNH,

Correct - night VFR is permitted in the US on an Airplane Single Engine license (i.e. PPL). The only real differences between night and day VFR are the currency requirements (night is 3 take-offs and landings to a full stop in the past 90 days flown at night, day is the same but without the full stop) and the equipment requirements.

BAL.

[Julian]

The difference being that in the US, night flying is actually covered as part of the FAA PPL.

If you turn up in the US with your basic JAA PPL and get your FAA cert on the back of it you will NOT be able to undertake night flying until you add a Night Qualification to your JAA PPL, you will then be able to fly at night under your FAA cert.

I love night flying and have done quite a bit rounf the West Coast of the US. As FFF says its a pain in the arse trying to find somewhere in the UK that you can fly from. Airfields with POL in the US are a Godsend - plus if you are bored and flying past them it gives you something to play with :o)