Night Rating advice!
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: UK,Twighlight Zone
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Re: Night Rating advice!
"I also found that as soon as landing light lit up runway enough that was the time to start the flare and let the runway meet me rather than fly in to it!"
Not a good idea, you should not flare until the lights look like they are around your ears, flaring so high as you suggest is courting disaster.
Chemical light sticks make great torches and they last around 12 hours. I bulk buy in packs of 25 for about £15 quid and always have a couple in the aircraft and a couple in my bag.
Not a good idea, you should not flare until the lights look like they are around your ears, flaring so high as you suggest is courting disaster.
Chemical light sticks make great torches and they last around 12 hours. I bulk buy in packs of 25 for about £15 quid and always have a couple in the aircraft and a couple in my bag.
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Re: Night Rating advice!
Like I said everyone will have a different technique,and as you pointed out I find that when i see the runway well enough with the light,the edge lights are by my shoulders-crap landing light I guess!
Seems to work-grease it everytime
Seems to work-grease it everytime
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Re: Night Rating advice!
Until you start visiting other airfields that have dirrent lighting configurations and different widths or until your landing light fails..........
I only have around 500hrs at night but I must have gone through a dozen landing lights on my plane in that time. They always fail at the worst moments. Try your technique without the landing light and PAPI's and see how smooth they are then!
I only have around 500hrs at night but I must have gone through a dozen landing lights on my plane in that time. They always fail at the worst moments. Try your technique without the landing light and PAPI's and see how smooth they are then!
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Re: Night Rating advice!
Tried without papi's still smooth........1km further down the runway
No landing light wasn't so bad,first attempt resulted in a trial flight style-sh1t theres the runway harsh flare-ballooon-bounce etc!
Then used lights at shoulder set up worked nice second time.
I find of the various faliures,no papis is the worst followed by no panel lights as you turn base no torch allowed-ANR headphones are not so good for judging engine revs
No landing light wasn't so bad,first attempt resulted in a trial flight style-sh1t theres the runway harsh flare-ballooon-bounce etc!
Then used lights at shoulder set up worked nice second time.
I find of the various faliures,no papis is the worst followed by no panel lights as you turn base no torch allowed-ANR headphones are not so good for judging engine revs
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Re: Night Rating advice!
We have no PAPIS at our strip, just a row of garden lights on a narrow short strip in the middle of nowhere. Blackhole syndrome is there for the unwary.
Why do it if it's not fun?
Join Date: Jul 2001
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Re: Night Rating advice!
For what it's worth, I agree with Bose-x.
My students aren't allowed to have the landing light on for a night landing until they can land without it. Then I brief my students that we will turn the landing light on, but I want them to completely ignore it. Without exception, the first landing with the landing light on results in either flaring too early or too late, depending on how bright the landing light is on the particular aircraft. So I then remind the student to ignore the landing light, and landings after that are absolutely fine.
Difficult things at night, apart from landings, include visual navigation (it's not impossible, despite what some people on this thread have said, and it's very rewarding to get it right, but it is always useful to have navaids for backup). Then there are the visual illusions, which are no problem if you've got an instrument qualification, but a bit harder if you don't. Taxying at an unfamiliar airport at night is fun (particularly if they don't light up their taxyway signs, as I found out recently - it was only by blind luck that I found my way to the correct holding point!). And probably lots of other things that don't immediately spring to mind...
Enjoy it!
FFF
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My students aren't allowed to have the landing light on for a night landing until they can land without it. Then I brief my students that we will turn the landing light on, but I want them to completely ignore it. Without exception, the first landing with the landing light on results in either flaring too early or too late, depending on how bright the landing light is on the particular aircraft. So I then remind the student to ignore the landing light, and landings after that are absolutely fine.
Difficult things at night, apart from landings, include visual navigation (it's not impossible, despite what some people on this thread have said, and it's very rewarding to get it right, but it is always useful to have navaids for backup). Then there are the visual illusions, which are no problem if you've got an instrument qualification, but a bit harder if you don't. Taxying at an unfamiliar airport at night is fun (particularly if they don't light up their taxyway signs, as I found out recently - it was only by blind luck that I found my way to the correct holding point!). And probably lots of other things that don't immediately spring to mind...
Enjoy it!
FFF
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Many Uses for Landing Lights
The landing light on descent gives you a chance to spot a bird and duck before it hits your windshield. If you're lucky like I was, the windshield remains intact and the guck covers the other side. This makes it easier to recover to a normal attitude
Also useful for taxi and making self visible to other traffic.
As for the actual landing, the edge lights are far more important.
I suspect the regs generally require a working landing light when flying with pax.
Also useful for taxi and making self visible to other traffic.
As for the actual landing, the edge lights are far more important.
I suspect the regs generally require a working landing light when flying with pax.
Why do it if it's not fun?
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Re: Night Rating advice!
RatherBeFlying,
No requirement for a landing light whatsoever in the UK ANO, certainly for private flights in light aircraft (<5700kg). I don't think there is for commercial flights in heavier aircraft either, but I can't be certain of that without looking it up.
FFF
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No requirement for a landing light whatsoever in the UK ANO, certainly for private flights in light aircraft (<5700kg). I don't think there is for commercial flights in heavier aircraft either, but I can't be certain of that without looking it up.
FFF
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Join Date: Apr 2002
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Re: Night Rating advice!
Blinkz,
This has proven to be an extremely interesting thread.
Do you think you might see your way to writing a 'Night Rating Diary' to tell us how you get on with your night rating?
I should certainly read this with interest, and I'm sure many others would also.
Best regards,
Broomstick.
This has proven to be an extremely interesting thread.
Do you think you might see your way to writing a 'Night Rating Diary' to tell us how you get on with your night rating?
I should certainly read this with interest, and I'm sure many others would also.
Best regards,
Broomstick.
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Re: Night Rating advice!
Hey guys, thanks for all the advice. I'm busy revising for my first phase of ATPLs which I've got next week so have been busy revising. Broomstick, thats a good idea and yea I'll def do a diary of my exploits! I'm still abit uneasy about flying at night but I guess thats just the risk you have to take, I'll speak to my instructor about it and see what he says.
so have been busy revising. Broomstick, thats a good idea and yea I'll def do a diary of my exploits! I'm still abit uneasy about flying at night but I guess thats just the risk you have to take, I'll speak to my instructor about it and see what he says.
