Summer Night Flying

[VFR Transit]

I am looking to complete some night flying over the summer months, problem is there does not seem to be many places open in the UK :bored:

Can anyone tell me where is best to go and where is open apart from Southend, as I am located in East Anglia anywhere in southern chart would be great.

It seems there are a few, but they want to rape me of about £150 in charges with some others being MORE grrrrrrrr

I hate the UK flying at times!!

Thanks
VFR

[Fuji Abound]

Yes, you will be lucky, come on this is Britain. :}

Seriously, have a look through Polleys there are a few Hrs 24 like Southend and you might even get one or two odd places like Manston to accept you if they have got freight inbound from Russia or SA.

You could buy a 42 and with the extended tanks and max economy setting stay airborn from dusk to dawn. :ok:

[Pilot DAR]

You could buy a 42 and with the extended tanks and max economy setting stay airborne from dusk to dawn

Well... Maybe, but you might have to land earlier for a gearbox inspection...

If you would like to night fly, Come to Canada. Lots of night, and good experience. When you takeoff form many of the less urban airports, you'll be climbing through the first hundred feet, and see about three lights on the horizon! Good instrument skills are an asset, and will be quickly developed!

[mad_jock]

Would it not be cheaper going into france? Fuel draw back etc

[sammypilot]

In fact it is not just summer night flying which is restricted. You will find very few pure GA Airfields open much after 6.0 p.m. even when there are several hours of daylight summer evening flying left. It is to be hoped that with a number of them being redesignated as "Unlicensed" that more out of hours landings will be permitted.

[neilgeddes]

Biggin Hill, Shoreham, Redhill and Lydd all stay open later than 6pm local time (as well as Southend). You may also find Goodwood open late one or two days a week; worth a call to the club there. If you want a cross country nav then perhaps Oxford? I doubt any of these though are open for official night flying in the summer months.

[Katamarino]

When I think of how easy, cheap and sensible things are in the US, UK/Dutch flying just depresses me :sad: Damn Dutch won't allow any night flight at all without an IR! It's not like they have any mountains to run into...

[AdamFrisch]

Check wih your club or owner if they have something called (I think) indemnity insurance or something. At Lydd Aero Club they have that so we can take off and land after the tower has gone home. Might be a local thing.

But generally this is something that the UK/Europe really should give first priority: why can't the landing lights be turned on by transmitting on the freq? This is standard practice in most parts of the world. Not only would it allow more alternatives, but it's a huge safety feature as well.