Might have been a year or two earlier...not long after I flew with Dickie Bird to get the night rating.....that was l989, or thereabouts. I bet his records are better than mine!
I did a lot of night flying in America....including a Christmas eve trek from Texas to Michigan. And with a friend who wasn't a pilot, from Texas to Florida .... that was in December as well. Amazing when you are flying from West to East how quickly night closes in that time of year.