classicrock
Pre-Flight
- Joined
- Aug 18, 2015
- Messages
- 73
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acousticguitar
I went on my first night flight cross country as a student pilot this weekend.
Tomball Tx(KDWH)to College Station TX(KCLL)and back
Entering the cockpit with my flight instructor, I learned that the instruments would not be illuminated throughout the entire flight. This caused ALOT of concern to me since if I cant view any of the instruments(how will I know my altitude/airspeed/heading. Nevertheless, we cranked the engine, and proceeded. We returned about 2 hours later, finishing the cross country and I STILL wonder how other pilots can see the instruments.
The Easterwood airport was difficult to find from the air(nevermind the blinking lights that identify airports. Their runways and taxiways at KCLL were poorly lit/marked, making taxiways difficult(virtually impossible to see on the ground). ATC provided some navigation help on the ground(yes we had a airport map)
Same issue returning to David Hooks. ATC provided a lot of help finding the runway from the air
I wonder: did the plane(Cessna 172K) we flew have no interior lighting for each of the instrument?
Do all pilots flying VFR cross country at night fly this way(barely able to view instruments).
Do other VFR pilots have this much trouble locating the airports at night?
(While I consider my instructor very able, I do wish they had prepped me better for this trip in reference to the lighting conditions in the cockpit)
Comments?
Tomball Tx(KDWH)to College Station TX(KCLL)and back
Entering the cockpit with my flight instructor, I learned that the instruments would not be illuminated throughout the entire flight. This caused ALOT of concern to me since if I cant view any of the instruments(how will I know my altitude/airspeed/heading. Nevertheless, we cranked the engine, and proceeded. We returned about 2 hours later, finishing the cross country and I STILL wonder how other pilots can see the instruments.
The Easterwood airport was difficult to find from the air(nevermind the blinking lights that identify airports. Their runways and taxiways at KCLL were poorly lit/marked, making taxiways difficult(virtually impossible to see on the ground). ATC provided some navigation help on the ground(yes we had a airport map)
Same issue returning to David Hooks. ATC provided a lot of help finding the runway from the air
I wonder: did the plane(Cessna 172K) we flew have no interior lighting for each of the instrument?
Do all pilots flying VFR cross country at night fly this way(barely able to view instruments).
Do other VFR pilots have this much trouble locating the airports at night?
(While I consider my instructor very able, I do wish they had prepped me better for this trip in reference to the lighting conditions in the cockpit)
Comments?