How many of you fly at night regularly?

[N747JB]

I'd guess 5% of my time is night, I flew home from the beach on Tuesday night, dark at departure. I actually prefer taking off before it gets totally dark and really enjoy flying at night. I really enjoy the city lights on a clear night! One time we were going to Vegas late and we could see the city light from over 100 miles!

 

[CTLSi]

Here is a piece of trivia for you. Sectionals are marked with yellow areas around towns and cities to give you the borders of bright lights easily seen at night. This is so you can use them as nav aids at night.

 

[PW_Plack]

When I was learning to fly in the Portland, OR area, there were enough small airfields in the Willamette River Valley to always keep a runway within gliding range of a Champ or 172 by flying at 3,000' or higher. The unlit ones made the landing light critical equipment, but I took that risk, and loved flying at night.

These days, when I fly, I'm usually in a gyroplane, which can typically make a survivable power-off vertical descent to any spot larger than the diameter of its rotor. I've wondered if it might be feasible to do a recon flight in daylight and store GPS waypoints for enough open fields and parking lots to allow continuous coverage of my route with such options using direct-to guidance.

 

[PW_Plack]

Here is a piece of trivia for you. Sectionals are marked with yellow areas around towns and cities to give you the borders of bright lights easily seen at night. This is so you can use them as nav aids at night.

I found VFR navigation around cities to be even easier at night for this reason. Airport beacons can also be seen a LONG way off. I made a couple night cross-country flights after getting my Private in which I had the destination airport beacon in sight for the entire flight.

 

[jbarrass]

I don't like flying in the afternoons, hot & bumpy, so it's usually early or at night. I really like the smoothness and the ride. I usually file IFR, but I almost always file when I'm cross country anyways.

Also, whenever possible I do my IPC's at night.

 

[mjburian]

Is there a recommended procedure?
Have they run the numbers to see what increases your chance for survival based on past night engine failures?

I am sure the numbers are significantly lower related to survivability but is there an official recommendation?

The only recommendation I'm aware of (besides the obvious carry more fuel, fly higher, have backup lights, etc) is the "aim for the dark areas" I mentioned before. Except, I'm convinced that's not for OUR sake, but for those on the ground. (Dark areas = less populated, generally.)

I also know that CFIT (controlled flight into terrain) has a MUCH higher survival rate than UFIT (uncontrolled flight into terrain). So even if things seem completely helpless, flying it the whole way down increases your chances for survival.

 

[tlrussell]

I plan my night flying around more than 50% moon, clear nights. I never take off at night. I never land at night at an unfamiliar airport.

 

[Jim Logajan]

Is there a recommended procedure?
Have they run the numbers to see what increases your chance for survival based on past night engine failures?

I am sure the numbers are significantly lower related to survivability but is there an official recommendation?

Here's a relevant article - one suggestion is to fly when the moon is out since it seems to halve the fatal accident rate:
http://www.avweb.com/news/airman/190849-1.html?redirected=1

It mentions this article "Into the Night" which looks good too (haven't read all the way through yet):
http://www.aerodynamicaviation.com/documents/IntotheNight.pdf

 

[frfly172]

I fly at night ,prefer to fly to airports that have on airport diners,as I get older ,don't enjoy the night that much. Also like to know when the moon is up . Not crazy about flying just after dusk before the moon is rising.

 

[Morgan3820]

I guess that I am a chicken. I trained to fly at night but I choose not to. I feel that it is an unwarranted risk as I can get anywhere I want during the day and as a veteran of an off-field forced landing, I want to know where I am going to put it down. I agree that the lights are pretty but I fly enough commercial at night to get my 'pretty' fix. I also avoid flying over large bodies of water and will go around cities. I like having a viable plan 'B'. if I had a twin or a turbine, I might change my mind but until then, I just do not see point.

 

[cowman]

It would be nice if you could get a detailed google earth/satellite view with gps position in the cockpit. At least then in an engine out at night you'd have a clue where you were going.

 

[stratobee]

About 15%. I'm a little weary launching towards the east at night over the Rockies, even in a twin. I'll happily do the end part of a journey at night over mountains, but not the entire trip. Chicken that way.

I remember coming back from Chicago once in my old Commander. It was so old it only had one hydraulic pump. So if the wrong engine quit, the gear would free fall out (as they were held up by hyd. pressure) and it would be pretty hard to keep her flying at all, never mind at altitude. I had launched late from my fuel stop in Arizona and found myself drifting into night right after Phoenix. I was pretty nervous over those mountains with zero visual cues (I was VFR only back then). Almost no emergency landing options or airports on that stretch either. When those lights over Palm Springs finally started to appear after about 1.5hrs, I was as relieved as I've ever been...

 

[BillTIZ]

It's hard to fly at night when it's daylight until 9pm, and you have to be up at 4am for work.
Every winter I get my night currancy back for a few months.

 

[RV10flyer]

And not a lot of traffic.

There does not seem to be much between 9,500-13,500' either.

 

[cirrusmx]

for two years i used to night flight almost every single week. I liked the following:
1. smooth air
2. no sun less weather
3. traffic is easier to see. less traffic on airports.
4. Not a lot of dr. killers in the sky at night. probably as sleep with the lovers.
5. i enjoyed sipping coffeee out of my thermos while enjoying the peace of the night.
6. the starry sky is nice to look at.

I didn't completely liked having one engine and not being able to find a survivable landing site, but then again i just lived with it the same way I do when flying over congested or heavily wooded areas without suitable emergency landing sites. In the other hand, I had the option to pull the chute


My most memorable and enjoyable flights were at night.

 

[Jay Honeck]

In 2,300+ hours of flying, over the last 20 years, Mary and I have less than 20 hours of night flying between us.

When the kids were little, we sat down and decided that night flying was one added risk we could completely eliminate without too much trouble. We never missed it -- although, now that the kids are grown, we may take a night flight again.

 

[Velocity173]

Just hit this fella tonight.

 

[txflyer]

Night flight + single engine = stupid.

I love it, but I won't do it. Not in a single.

I would feel really stupid if I were out there at night, for no real important reason, and the mill quit. I'd probably be cussing and calling myself a stupid arrogant s.o.b. all the way to the crash site.

 

[LDJones]

My night solo was out of an unlit farm strip my instructor sprayed crops from. I flew the 15 miles or so back to my home airport and did the requisite stop and goes. Over the next several years 40% of my flying was at night. I will admit that the older I get the more I prefer twins at night and over longer stretches of water, but that won't stop me from going where I need to go when I need to go in a single. Life has risks no matter what you do.

 

[jordane93]

Night flight + single engine = stupid.

I love it, but I won't do it. Not in a single.

I would feel really stupid if I were out there at night, for no real important reason, and the mill quit. I'd probably be cussing and calling myself a stupid arrogant s.o.b. all the way to the crash site.

To each his own. I have no problem flying a single at night. In fact I flew a Cherokee from to chicago to NY and about 4 hours of it was night time. Granted there was not a lot of terrain and weather was great but in different parts of the country I probably wouldn't do it as much.

 

[brian]]

Not a fan of night flying, but there are times I get started a little late and I end up watching the sun go down while still in the air. I just like the option of picking the softest spot if the engine decided to quit....

 

[David7700]

Just hit this fella tonight.

Ouch!

 

[pilot_dude]

Night flight + single engine = stupid.

I love it, but I won't do it. Not in a single.

I would feel really stupid if I were out there at night, for no real important reason, and the mill quit. I'd probably be cussing and calling myself a stupid arrogant s.o.b. all the way to the crash site.

LOL, I've been called a lot of things but this is the first time I've been called stupid. Guess I should sit in a padded room and hope it doesn't get struck by lightning.

 

[James331]

Look at all those stupid people who fly fedex 208s

The dummies that fly night in PC12

And all morons who fly those F-16s at night.

 

[JimNtexas]

Look at all those stupid people who fly fedex 208s

The dummies that fly night in PC12

And all morons who fly those F-16s at night.

A Fedex 208 hit a farmhouse near Austin after an engine failure not long ago. To be fair, IIRC it was getting dark and the pilot and house occupants survived.

F-16's have parachutes.

 

[CTLSi]

for two years i used to night flight almost every single week. I liked the following:
1. smooth air
2. no sun less weather
3. traffic is easier to see. less traffic on airports.
4. Not a lot of dr. killers in the sky at night. probably as sleep with the lovers.
5. i enjoyed sipping coffeee out of my thermos while enjoying the peace of the night.
6. the starry sky is nice to look at.

I didn't completely liked having one engine and not being able to find a survivable landing site, but then again i just lived with it the same way I do when flying over congested or heavily wooded areas without suitable emergency landing sites. In the other hand, I had the option to pull the chute


My most memorable and enjoyable flights were at night.

Doctors are flying Cessna 172s too.

 

[txflyer]

It would be interesting to see the ratio of fatalities comparing night crashes to day crashes.

In other words, how many people have died in a night crash as compared to the same number of crashes during daylight.

I think gliding down into a pitch black hole with a dead stick would have to be one of the most frightening and humbling experiences one could have ...

 

[LDJones]

There's really no difference in the risk. Failures don't know if the sun is shining or not. My rule is to never fly a route at night I haven't flown in daylight so I'm familiar with terrain, outs, etc. unless ther's another pilot with me who knows the area. And never in the mountains at night.

There's no greater likelihood of a failure, but in the event of a failure the risk is unquestionably higher. Even familiar terrain has things you can bump into in the dark.

 

[James331]

A Fedex 208 hit a farmhouse near Austin after an engine failure not long ago. To be fair, IIRC it was getting dark and the pilot and house occupants survived.

F-16's have parachutes.

Well if you want to be technical I have a parachute too, just not too comfy and the pax probably wouldn't like it if I wore it at work

 

[Jimmy cooper]

It would be interesting to see the ratio of fatalities comparing night crashes to day crashes.

In other words, how many people have died in a night crash as compared to the same number of crashes during daylight.

I think gliding down into a pitch black hole with a dead stick would have to be one of the most frightening and humbling experiences one could have ...

You being too sensible again. People, ( " tough guys") who say flying single engine at night is not taking a big chance would utter a long loud whine if it happened to them. Not being able to see where your touching down is real stupid. Hopefully these idiots do it alone and not take others out with them.

 

[James331]

You being too sensible again. People, ( " tough guys") who say flying single engine at night is not taking a big chance would utter a long loud whine if it happened to them. Not being able to see where your touching down is real stupid. Hopefully these idiots do it alone and not take others out with them.

So you're against flying a single in IMC too, or above a cloud deck?

Seeing all the planes on your profile are primarily singles, I take it you're only a fair weather flyer?

 

[jbarrass]

So you're against flying a single in IMC too, or above a cloud deck?

Seeing all the planes on your profile are primarily singles, I take it you're only a fair weather flyer?

or over mountains or over water.....

 

[SixPapaCharlie]

Until I hear a better idea, I am flying over roads. No way I am aiming for the darkest spot. I don't think a deadstick plane is going to do a lot of damage to a car on the road and landing speed is about the same as highway speeds.

Not sure what happens if you hit power lines. Do they give and snap or slice and dice?

 

[LDJones]

Until I hear a better idea, I am flying over roads. No way I am aiming for the darkest spot. I don't think a deadstick plane is going to do a lot of damage to a car on the road and landing speed is about the same as highway speeds.

Not sure what happens if you hit power lines. Do they give and snap or slice and dice?

Just weld some angle iron to your landing gear and struts like they did with the old Stearmans!! The nick in the line it causes will weaken the wire enough to snap it....or so they thought.

 

[txflyer]

Until I hear a better idea, I am flying over roads. No way I am aiming for the darkest spot. I don't think a deadstick plane is going to do a lot of damage to a car on the road and landing speed is about the same as highway speeds.

Not sure what happens if you hit power lines. Do they give and snap or slice and dice?

I was a power lineman in a previous life, and we had to go pick up a span of wire across the freeway in Pasadena TX one night.

It was a single engine night flyer that had the same idea you did. He didn't make it.

It about sheared the plane in two. What most people don't know is, even aluminum power lines have a steel core strand at their center. RIP

 

[Henning]

And not a lot of traffic.

2am, all KC Center had was me and a SW Redeye, he told us jokes all the way across his airspace.

 

[Henning]

It would be nice if you could get a detailed google earth/satellite view with gps position in the cockpit. At least then in an engine out at night you'd have a clue where you were going.

You can, no worries, the datalink is gonna be the most expensive part of your flying though.

 

[timwinters]

Night flight + single engine = stupid.

And some might say:

Grass Airstrip + Pigs and Horses and Cattle on it = Stupid.

But not me.

To each his own.

 

[LDJones]

I was a power lineman in a previous life, and we had to go pick up a span of wire across the freeway in Pasadena TX one night.

It was a single engine night flyer that had the same idea you did. He didn't make it.

It about sheared the plane in two. What most people don't know is, even aluminum power lines have a steel core strand at their center. RIP

Sadly, a good friend hit some high tension lines spanning an interstate. Nothing but very charred remains.

 

[txflyer]

And some might say:

Grass Airstrip + Pigs and Horses and Cattle on it = Stupid.

But not me.

To each his own.

No, it is stupid. Mixing cows with planes is stupid. The hogs are just icing on the cake.

But I do my stupidity during the DAY. !