Night Flying

[Snigs]

Hi folks,

I'm going to dive into the "Night Rating" next week and I was wondering what pitfalls I may come across.

Did any of you out there have any problems with learning to fly at night, and how did you overcome them?

TIA, Snigs

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You ain't seen me, right!

[pjdj777]

Hey Snigs, how's it going

Landings is the bit I find hard.
It's a completely different animal at night, the rest of it's okay but the bit at the end I always have problems with (I was night flying last night in a Duchess, with a safety pilot, couldn't get the thing to sit down properly, back to the drawing board).

Apart from that - in a single always bear in mind that the black stuff in between the street lights could be land, water, hills, buildings - you just can't tell so if the donk goes - pray.

Oh, and you can't see clouds at night.

James Allan (Pilot Magazine) wrote a book on the night rating, I've never read it but I have heard good reports.

And I think that flying at night is one of the best experiences I've had as a pilot, I've only got about 8 night hours or so at present but I intend to do a lot more over the winter and it is wonderful. You'll love it.

Who you doing it with?

[This message has been edited by pjdj777 (edited 11 November 1999).]

[Snigs]

pjdj777 me ole shpshggr, I'm fine, how's you? :)

I'm still having trouble landing in daylight, so I anticipate the odd heavy thump, or touch & go, touch & go, touch & go.....

you can't see clouds at night.

Hmm, that's obvious, now that you mention it, but I hadn't even thought about that!! How can you avoid them and remain VMC then?

I'm looking forward to the crystal clear nights and the sparkling vista that is Gloucestershire, SE Wales. (Let's face it, I shouldn't get lost around there with 2 huge f**k off lit up bridges to aim for and then heading 040 back to base!). I hope Mr. Met gives me a kind ride next week!

I'm doing it with my old PPL instructor (top guy, nothing seems to phase him) at EGBJ with Cotswold Aviation Services - oops sorry Danny, is that advertising!?

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You ain't seen me, right!

[PIK Kid]

I did some night flying earlier last month. I loved it, in fact I prefer flying at night than during the day. Anyway, my advice comes from that personal experience - and this is "Make sure your instrument lights - work adequately and carry 2 torches."

That might sound a bit of a no-brainer but here's what happened.

My instructor and I took off on a sunny afternoon, (yes we do get the occassional one in Scotland) for the outbound leg of a night cross country. During out pre take-off checks we had checked all the lights and they did work. However, on the way back when it was dark, we discovered that the instrument lights were pittyfully weak. Something we hadn't noticed when checking during daylight.

Anyway, my instructor produced his mag light which decided it wasn't playing ball, luckily I also had mine so I was still able to read the map and log.

Since then I have also invested in those red filters you can get for the lense of your mag light.

Sorry if that seems a bit obvious.

[Snigs]

PIK Kid,

I've recently bought a mag lite (and spare batteries) for the very purpose you mention, but what advantage does a red filter give you?

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You ain't seen me, right!

[Mr Magoo]

It's all very well "heading 040" from the Severn bridge(s) but what if you miss Gloucester? you'll bump into the Cotswolds that's what!! The ground's just as hard at night!!
Who said "only owls and bloody fools fly at night"? (S/E anyway!!)

[pjdj777]

Doing just fine thanks, Snigs.

How do you stay VMC at night?

TAF and ATIS is vital - Cloud last night was at 2400 - we stayed at 2000.

Don't fly if dewpoint and temp are within 2 degrees of each other.

And fly accurately - I tend to fly as if IMC at night, keeping on top of the radio aids, rate one turns only and constantly checking reference points - on a clear night if you're over the sea it reflects the stars and it's spatial disorientation time so watch it over the Bristol Channel.

If you do hit a cloud, rate 1 for 180 and straight out.

Also - keep in mind regarding your diversions, should something go wrong, not all of them are open at night. Happily, if you go west and can't get back to Glos you have the choice of Cardiff or Bristol, so it's not so bad.

[Snigs]

pjdj777, thanks for the hints and tips, much appreciated, but "radio aids"....what's them then????? ;)

Mr Magoo, I wasn't planning on missing Gloucester, but hey, the Cotswolds are a beautiful place to crash into (oops, http://www.pprune.org/ubb/NonCGI/redface.gif I mustn't tempt fate!), and I must remember not to overfly Slimbridge bird sanctuary, the wintering Swans have arrived!

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This week, I shall mostly be...in the dark

[This message has been edited by Snigs (edited 11 November 1999).]

[no sponsor]

Two torches is the minimum - according to my instructor. Did my first night landing recently too. Don't like the idea of being in a single for too long though.

Under JAA for the PPL you can now do your night rating in the PPL - Minimum 5 hours taking the course to 50.

[PIK Kid]

Snigs, I got the filters because red light affects your night vision less than white light apparently.

No sponsor did your instructor say it was a legal minimum or just a sensible minimum?

[Flintstone]

...but a red filter makes all the red marks on your chart invisible.

[Mr Magoo]

Whatever happens don't go down Gloucester docks with your red light on at night...............

[Night_Pilot]

Guys, guys, night flying is the business! It's hard work but the view is outstanding.

Unfortunately, I'm sorry to disappoint you all, but the best night flying is at low level, dropping down the valleys and climbing to hop over the power lines!

Bats and tw*ts fly conventionally....go NVG and you'll never look back!

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Illegitimati Non Carborundum

[hairy_kiwi]

Hooters,Hooters,Hooters,Hooters,Hooters,Hooters and more hooters.

Of course you can see clouds at night.
I was flying from EGBJ last night - few0150 sct0200 bkn0350 or something miserable like that. No star light available but you CAN see them. OK, you can't see them very well, but you can see them, (and I've got 4i's)

And another point; just because the landing light switch is labled 'landing light' doesn't preclude you from using it to help dodge clouds; or so I figure.

And just one more point. Prior Planning Prevents late arrivals and surcharges - believe me. Arriving back 6 mins late after notified closing time - all due to a combination of factors of course - cost me £60 into the ATC coffee can, THANK YOU VERY MUCH! You might think 'what a ********' (I do) but learning from my mistake should enable you to fly for another hour or so...

And just to finish on a bright note; I think visual night flying in the UK winter s*x: low freezing levels, poor vis and clear nights few and far between. Night flying in the States must be a real pleasure. I can't wait to get my IR issued...or NVG's for Christmas.

Happy night flying,
the hairy one.

[This message has been edited by hairy_kiwi (edited 11 November 1999).]

[Ski Guru]

If you want to remain VMC, turn on your landing light, if it is all hazy, your in cloud, if not then your VMC......or you could just fly around the outback.

[Three-Twenty]

...so colour in the iportant ones along your route (DA's, big roads etc.) with a black marker before you go! :)

[Three-Twenty]

...so colour in the important ones along your route (DA's, big roads etc.) with a black marker before you go! :)

[Vx]

Good words on NGT VFR so far, especially the 2 Mag torches and spare batteries.

Some more tricks:
1. Get a torch holder that securely attaches a torch to the bow of your headset. Turn on and ignore, when it all goes black (it will..).
Holding a torch in a spare hand or your mouth for an hour after a total electrics failure solo while doing radio, nav, drills, etc. without any ground reference is not an option. 95% of commercial pilots try once, and it doesn't work. Lots of saliva, disorientation and check pilot with arms folded. (No, I DON'T want to hold your frigging slimey torch !)
As soon as you get night VMC right, your instructor should turn off all your lights and cover your electric insts at about 200' feet on climb and leave them that way until you land - good fun !
2. Lights at night are misleading. Night VFR is really a form of IFR, so use navaid info plus DR backup as for IFR, outside the circuit.
Using primary visual info for fixes on a nav unless its Buckingham Palace or something unique is not good, because low cloud, new lights, timed power saving, etc., can change the appearance of what you are used to. Grid failures especially.
I once saw a 12000 hour pilot confuse electric train cable sparks with visual lane strobe markers ! Its easy to do, so nav like it's IFR.
The only lights I refer to at night are threshold lights when abeam on downwind, and rwy lights for lining up on. And taxiway lights. That's all !
For short distances, eg., OCTA in the terminal area, count the time in seconds for DR nav as this will be more accurate than needles and a lot safer than twisting around looking for lights over your shoulder.
Eg., its 040M from the Severn Bridges back to the airfield, but how many minutes/seconds ? And how long is too far ?? What then ?
3. Study up on visual illusions and human factors, and "blackhole" approaches, and fly some of the latter during a night navex.
4. Expect to be without any ground lights at all in some places on cross country navs, which really means its true IFR, for quite a few miles, with all the attendant illusions. (One good one - flying over a fishing fleet under a black sky; all the pin pricks of light are like stars underneath you !) Under these circumstances you won't see clouds until you are in them, so have your cloud plan ready.
Also, landing lights wont show any cloud until, like Ski Guru, you arrive in one.
5. Your torch's should have red filters because this colour causes the least loss of night vision. However, night vision is a lot less useful than illumination. You DO want to see everything on the panel and its better to have a bright torch than a dull one, since you are not really going to rely on night vision to see Heinkels in the moonlight. (sorry, Krauts)
Red light means no red pen marks.
6. Vision ? You need a clean windscreen. Clean it with soap and water at each stop (carry it, the hose is too far), in case the next one is an approach in heavy rain, which combined with dust and bugs will cause you to see not too much at 200' !
7. Engine failures and unable to maintain height - aim for the lights so as you get closer you can see something, if not much. The black areas could be anything. At least lights might mean people. Don't fixate and hit a 18" thick steel light pole though.
8. When you get airborne and everything has settled down; same as for day, check fuel/oil caps for leaks (torch).
9. Oh yeah, you MUST eat 2 large carrots (washed but unpeeled, with salt) immediately before takeoff.

[no sponsor]

Presumably you are referring to the night vision ability of vitamin A?

[DanishPilot]

Engine failure in a single at night:

Short final by heart checklist:

Landing light: On

If you don't like what you see, then

Landing light: OFF !

[Snigs]

Hi folks,

Well, I was lucky with the weather and completed it in 3 nights. Flying at night for the first time and getting those landings right brought all of the thrill and total excitement of flying back, just like it was in the early PPL days.

Thanks everyone for their input, I'll print this thread off and keep it in my flight bag, just for the odd reminder!!

:)

[pjdj777]

Well doen Snigs, thought you'd like it!

With a bit of luck I'll be going my night cross country tonight.

cheers

[Virginia Plane]

Yeah, Night flying is the dog's b's. Mind you, could have done without it this evening (35 knots 90 degree crosswind with full load of pax and a U/S glideslope! Still fun though (especially in hindsight!).

Regards
ViP

[Snigs]

Delighted that I am at my new shiny night rating, and the fact that I've jumped through one of the early hoops that the CAA place before us in the long road to ATPL, I sure would like to see a break-down of the costs and the justification for the £63 that the CAA have just snaffled off me! I mean, checking a log book and printing a piece of paper????????? What's going on here??

[pjdj777]

know how you feel, Snigs, having had to oay £63 on three occasions (twin, night, IMC).

It costs enough to do the flying.

Still, hoops to jump through, bills to pay, try hard not to think about it and enjoy the flying.