Night Rating
Thread Starter
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 100
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From: UK
Night Rating
Does anybody know the best place in the Northwest to get a night rating?
Has anyone done the Night rating at any of these schools?
Multi Flight
Leeds Flying School
Ravenair
Welshpool
What is it like flying at night? I have heard its good and the views are breath taking but it is supposed to be quite scary! Is this true?
Has anyone done the Night rating at any of these schools?
Multi Flight
Leeds Flying School
Ravenair
Welshpool
What is it like flying at night? I have heard its good and the views are breath taking but it is supposed to be quite scary! Is this true?
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 57
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From: ooop North
Its a great experience and the views ARE fantastic!
Only scary bit is the uncertainty over where to aim for in the event of an engine failure (the dark bits normally.....)
Go for it - good luck. <img src="smile.gif" border="0">
Only scary bit is the uncertainty over where to aim for in the event of an engine failure (the dark bits normally.....)
Go for it - good luck. <img src="smile.gif" border="0">
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 87
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From: Bournemouth, Blighty.
Night flying's fantastic. Although I agree with the above that engine failure in a single is a somewhat scarier prospect at night - I guess I'd tend to err on the side of stretches of water, where available.
Apart from that though, definitely go for it. At the very least it gives you options at the quieter ends of the day around sun up and sunset when there are few others around, and you get some beautiful skies. It extends your hours quite considerably, which is a big plus for cross countries and the like. And the air can be wonderfully still at night - it's more like flying a sim at times.
And there's something great about runway lights at night, eh?
Apart from that though, definitely go for it. At the very least it gives you options at the quieter ends of the day around sun up and sunset when there are few others around, and you get some beautiful skies. It extends your hours quite considerably, which is a big plus for cross countries and the like. And the air can be wonderfully still at night - it's more like flying a sim at times.
And there's something great about runway lights at night, eh?
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 1,430
Likes: 44
From: FL390
The night rating is great fun and the experience is a thousand times better that daytime flying. You use your instruments alot more to check altitude, speed, heading etc.
It is a little scray when you are tunring onto final and get dis-orientated by the lights and lose the airfield, but the controllers are there to help you.. .The views are great and you feel like you are the only one in the sky! Go for it any fear soon turns into excitement
[ 12 February 2002: Message edited by: spitfire747 ]</p>
It is a little scray when you are tunring onto final and get dis-orientated by the lights and lose the airfield, but the controllers are there to help you.. .The views are great and you feel like you are the only one in the sky! Go for it any fear soon turns into excitement
[ 12 February 2002: Message edited by: spitfire747 ]</p>
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 10,804
Likes: 1
Currently at Leeds Flying School doing CPL/IR.
Haven't done the night rating here but its a good school and very friendly instructors, the planes are well kitted out with all the fancy kit which i am not allowed to use ( i am restricted to an ADF diet)
The airport is pretty learner friendly apart from it can get very windy.
MJ
Haven't done the night rating here but its a good school and very friendly instructors, the planes are well kitted out with all the fancy kit which i am not allowed to use ( i am restricted to an ADF diet)
The airport is pretty learner friendly apart from it can get very windy.
MJ
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 103
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From: Leeds, UK
Rowley
Did mine at Multilfight a couple of months back - highly recommend them. Took a while due to foul weather, but my instructor was willing to come in pretty much any time whenever the sky was clear.
Good choice of planes too - Robin, Cessnas or Warriors.
Enjoy it, wherever you go.
Did mine at Multilfight a couple of months back - highly recommend them. Took a while due to foul weather, but my instructor was willing to come in pretty much any time whenever the sky was clear.
Good choice of planes too - Robin, Cessnas or Warriors.
Enjoy it, wherever you go.
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 129
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From: Lancs, UK
I got my PPL at Ravenair and have had nothing but good experiences with them. I'm intending to do a night rating there, but plan to get an IMC first. Instruction costs on the PA38 work out at £86/ hr with landings at £5.88 (both icluding VAT). Solo works out at £72/hr.
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 39
Likes: 0
From: Hampshire
Rowley
Go for it. I did my night rating at Blackbushe, but ran out of airport opening time so I completed it in the US whislt on Holiday last year. It was great flying over Epcot watching the fireworks from above, there was 3 or 4 others with the same idea all in our own little circuit. Great..
One interesting thing was in the UK I was told in the event of engine failure head for the black bits, in the US the instructor was quite adament about parking it on the nearest road(highway). Don't know if I would like to try either but flying at night is a totaly different experience. Suddenly you realise why the towns etc are shaded yellow on your map and why they are that funy shape. They look exatcly like that at night when lite up.
Best of luck where ever you decide to do it, it can be fun even when the instructor trys turning off every aid you have and asks you to land it.
<img src="smile.gif" border="0"> <img src="smile.gif" border="0">
Go for it. I did my night rating at Blackbushe, but ran out of airport opening time so I completed it in the US whislt on Holiday last year. It was great flying over Epcot watching the fireworks from above, there was 3 or 4 others with the same idea all in our own little circuit. Great..
One interesting thing was in the UK I was told in the event of engine failure head for the black bits, in the US the instructor was quite adament about parking it on the nearest road(highway). Don't know if I would like to try either but flying at night is a totaly different experience. Suddenly you realise why the towns etc are shaded yellow on your map and why they are that funy shape. They look exatcly like that at night when lite up.
Best of luck where ever you decide to do it, it can be fun even when the instructor trys turning off every aid you have and asks you to land it.
<img src="smile.gif" border="0"> <img src="smile.gif" border="0">
Thread Starter
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 100
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From: UK
Thnaks for all the replies!
Ill let you know how i go on. It'll probably at Multiflight in a Warrior or Welshpool!
MSF is too dear. .LFS dont have any PA 28's. .Ravenair is reasonable but gets too dear when they start adding landing fees for every alnding!. .Comed have no info on their website plus i have also heard too many bad things about them!
Ill let you know how i go on. It'll probably at Multiflight in a Warrior or Welshpool!
MSF is too dear. .LFS dont have any PA 28's. .Ravenair is reasonable but gets too dear when they start adding landing fees for every alnding!. .Comed have no info on their website plus i have also heard too many bad things about them!
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 54
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From: New York
don't have a night rating but have flown with both Leeds and Multiflight. No complaints about Multiflight but for me Leeds won hands down - great people, great instruction and a genuine interest in my progress. Will certainly return to them at some stage.
