Night Flying

Night rating is an add-on to the Private License. You need 5 hours night dual, 5 hours instrument dual and 5 hours solo. Currency requirements are 5 night landings and takeoffs in the past 6 months.

- know your lights and cockpit blindfolded
> taxi
> landing
> beacon
> strobe
> nav (memory aid: there is no red port left) / right is starboard, lights are blue blue
> - turn on landing during downwind check
> - turn off nav/strobe lights (can be distracting when landing)
> - turn off landing lights during climb check (engine, instruments, lights)
- ground seems higher than it actually is (rely on your instruments)
> look all over the airport to break tunnel vision
> look at runway rushing up / look down to the far end of runway
- when landing, you'll have a tendency to flare higher
- when on final, you seem faster than you actually are
- carry flashlight and a backup light
- rely on heading indicator to do circuits
> - 90/90/90 degrees (i.e. 260/170/080/260)
> - reset heading indicator every 15 min. (when straight and level / double check when you land)
- know light gun signals
> red and white lights: do not land for time being
> red flashing: continue circling / taxi out of runway in use
> red steady: do not land / stop taxi
> green flashing: return for landing / cleared to taxi
> green steady: cleared to land / cleared to takeoff
- know radio navigation
> VOR, ADF and DME
> know limitations (for ADF, you need to be close to the startion... 10 nm?)
> tune, identify and set bearing
- know to/from: always fly to the VOR heading
- if left/right, you need to turn left/right to intercept
> - each dot is 2 degrees, turn left/right to half of what it indicates to intercept
> varies as you get closer, don't chase the needle, small adjustments
> if it appears diagonal (i.e. 10'o clock to 3 o'clock as opposed to just left/right from 12'o clock), the heading you want to intercept is ahead of you (what if it is back?)