Originally Posted by IO540
UK night training isn't done in anything like a dark night; they wouldn't be able to because the students need a visible horizon, and on a dark night there isn't anything at all to see out of the window.
Agreed, at most UK airfields. However I did mine at EGJJ - and crosswind to downwind and downwind to base leg turns all done out towards the (very) dark briney - coupled with holds at Corbiere and Noirmont Point with turns out to the black void all make for very interesting flying, jumping from visual references to instruments and back again.
On my Qualifying solo, I had a 15 minute hold at Noirmont Point waiting for the inbound commercials to land. Dull, 8/8 night with a 2500' cloudbase but goodish viz, so no real horizon references out over the water. To make matters worse, aircraft nav lights and boat/light bouy lights can be confusing (is that up or down? is that a boat or an aircraft? am I actually flying upside down or not?)!!
Certainly made me a better pilot and I have absolutely no issues in flying on instruments, but I wonder if I'd feel so comfortable if I had done my night rating over a sprawling well lit metropolis like Bristol?