Night Flying
Once you are comfortable with cross country flying in the day time, you will be introduced to night flying through pattern work and one night cross country flight.
Night Flying Regulations
- Night currency required to carry pax at night - 3 landings to full stop 1 hour after sunset within 90 days
- Night logging begins at civil twilight (approximately 30 mins after sunset) - defined as when sun 6° below horizon
- Must have and turn on navigation lights after sunset
- Most POH require landing light to be operational for night VFR
- Night VFR fuel reserve requirements - 45 mins
- Spare set of fuses or three spare fuses of each kind
Night Flying Considerations
- Engine out procedures
- VASI, PAPI, etc
- Some countries require IFR for night
- Runway, taxi lighting
Illusions
- Autokinesis - static light may appear to move if stared at long enough
- Somatographic - acceleration feels like tumbling backwards
- Runway width - narrow = seem high, leads to lower approach, wide = seem low, higher approach
- Featureless terrain - creates illusion airplane higher than actually is
- Lots of lights create illusion of less distance to runway, fly higher approach
Night Vision
- Very small center area, fovea, has ability to send focused messages to brain
- Rods are dominant at night, leading to loss of color acuity
- Use red light to preserve night vision
- Use oxygen above 5,000 ft MSL
Flight Content
- Pattern work - 8 takeoffs and landings
- 100nm night cross country flight to Bowling Green and back
Common Mistakes
- Improper altitude management
- Forgets flashlight and/or batteries
- Fails to use VASI, PAPI, etc
- Improper recognition of runway, taxi, etc lighting