Originally Posted by
Ancient-Mariner
I have a PPL but do not have either Night or IMC ratings. Also I have never been a PAX in a SEA or twin during darkness. So please be gentle with this question!
Normally during night flying, are the lights of towns/cities of any assistance other than the navigation? In other words do these lights give any visual reference to help situational awareness so as to reduce the total reliance on the AI?
Reason I ask, is that from departure Nantes, there would have been the lights of villages and towns towards Rennes and then similar to the coast. Then after Guernsey, just darkness ahead. (just like for me being mid-ocean at sea) Rain, sleet, snow swirling across the windscreen; trying to ignore it and concentrate on the AI....... I wonder if Sala's fear was the vibration of a iced up prop?
Clive
As a long in the tooth old fashioned old timer I would offer by way of a reply. Within the context of SA, yes as there is no visible horizon, but to a limited extent.
Night flight is instrument flight. However in the UK we have a night and IMC ratings. The latter is sold with the label " will get you out of trouble, my opinion is " it will get you into trouble". My long held personal view is that both are introductions to instrument flight. They are there only to be used in exceptional circumstances, such as when a VFR flight planned to start and end in day time stray into night time and when a climb and descent above cloud cover has become necessary. To me VFR means day, clear of cloud and in sight of ground.
In this instance it may well be that the pilot in question may have held a valid IR endorsement to his FAA airman`s certificate, this may have given him the privilege of IR flight over French airspace, but not UK controlled airspace. I think it has been previously commented that he may have been transiting the Channel Islands airspace on a special VFR clearance and had planned to enter UK airspace VFR. It is therefore possible that having encountered IMC he may have decided to commence a descent to remain clear of cloud in good time before entering UK airspace. I would imagine he would have been using the A/P and from memory I do believe this particular type of aircraft is equipped with a altitude pre-select function. It is possible therefore to speculate that either this failed causing a runaway elevator pitch trim or that the ice build up over the elevator and its trim tab jammed from the ice accumulation during the descent not permitting the A/P to recover at the selected altitude and to cause it to continue its descent.
Only hard and long experience gained in working as a pilot may equip a pilot to know his own and his aircraft`s performance and limitations and the intricacies of the atmosphere within which he and his passengers are to be safely carried from point A to Point B. It is only then that one appreciates the value of humility.
A great book I have always suggested to all those who have an interest in aviation is Ernest Gann`s book Fate is the Hunter. Many say it is the finest book on the subject. I tend to agree.