IFR Training Question...Just Started!

[VWGhiaBob]

I just hit the books to get my IFR (actually, the video AND the books...King Schools...great series). Next come some flights.

My Question: My club's planes tend to be booked on weekends and I work during the week, so scheduling is a challenge. Is there any reason I shouldn't to IFR training at night or before sunrise?

Seems like darkness is a good option. After all, it will keep me current on night landings AND you aren't supposed to look out of the window anyway, so who cares if it's dark?

Only downsides I can think of:

* Single engine at night...bad options if power is lost (I will fly over LA)

* Less windy at night, so I'll have less experience with bumps in the soup

Am I missing something?

 

[Ghery]

No problem with training at night. I did a lot of my IR training that way, including the long XC. Once you have the foggles on there isn't much difference. My CFII said it was a beautiful evening when we flew the XC. I wouldn't know.

 

[MyassisDragon]

I did about 25% of my hood work at night (with safety pilot of course)
and currently I am safety piloting for a friend whose only option is to fly at night. Seems with working all day, honey doing on the weekends and sun slipping down early around here this time of year that is our only option.

FWIW: I actually liked training at night cause the better I got managing the cockpit without ambient light, I felt much better with my CRM during the day.

 

[poadeleted20]

I did much of my IR training at night after university classes were out allowing both me (an undergrad) and my instructor (a grad student) to get together. Also, often conditions are better for IR training in the evening than during the day. So, if nights are the time when you, your instructor, and the aircraft can best be gathered together, go for it.

 

[Baron2PG]

I prefer night as it really makes you focus on the instruments; less peripheral vision to help you cheat. I think the instructor will be the limiting factor; he/she may not want to conduct training at night.

 

[MyassisDragon]

I prefer night as it really makes you focus on the instruments; less peripheral vision to help you cheat.

Funny story - On one of my flights as safety pilot I filed and IFR plan and we did an approach at a local airport. Ceiling was about 2000 so on missed approach we went back into the clouds (a little bumpy, but not bad).

I told my friend to take off the foggles since we were IFR. After grumbling and growling for a few minutes he put the foggles back on WHILE STILL IN THE CLOUDS saying it was too distracting cause he could see the whole cockpit.

 

[frfly172]

Like to practice at night,that way you will have some experience ,when you actually fly IFR.

 

[kgruber]

Night is better.

 

[somorris]

Just be sure you have good enough instrument lighting to be able to see the instruments. Some airplanes are a little weak with regard to lighting.

 

[Becky]

Plane: Mooney

Flight: Nighttime IFR

Pilot: IFR rated, going for IFR instructor rating, 2000+ hrs

Safety pilot: IFR rated, Cessna experience only, no night experience except PPL required, 260 hrs


Is this a good scenario?

 

[warthog1984]

Safety pilot: IFR rated, Cessna experience only, no night experience except PPL required, 260 hrs


Is this a good scenario?

Since the safety pilot (aka PIC) does not appear to have night currency, what do you think?

OTOH, it would likely not be IMC conditions- LA is NOT a black hole.

 

[Greg Bockelman]

Since the safety pilot (aka PIC) does not appear to have night currency, what do you think?

OTOH, it would likely not be IMC conditions- LA is NOT a black hole.

Who said the safety pilot was the PIC? There is no requirement that the safety pilot be PIC.

From a safety standpoint, I don't see a problem with that. From an instructional standpoint, I think the CFII "student" would be better served having an instructor in the other seat. But that is just me.

 

[poadeleted20]

Plane: Mooney

Flight: Nighttime IFR

Pilot: IFR rated, going for IFR instructor rating, 2000+ hrs

Safety pilot: IFR rated, Cessna experience only, no night experience except PPL required, 260 hrs

Is this a good scenario?

Works for me. Unless you do things differently, the safety pilot's only responsibility is to look out the window for other aircraft, and other aircraft look the same from the cockpit of a Mooney as they do from the cockpit of a Cessna.

 

[poadeleted20]

Since the safety pilot (aka PIC) does not appear to have night currency, what do you think?

What makes you think the safety pilot is going to be the PIC? And night currency is not a requirement for a pilot acting solely as a safety pilot per 91.109(c).

OTOH, it would likely not be IMC conditions- LA is NOT a black hole.

I'm pretty sure that LA's lights don't change whether one is in IMC or not. Ground illumination is not a factor in 91.155, only cloud clearance and flight visibility. While that brilliant lighting from the ground could change whether an unhooded pilot could log actual instrument time during night flight outside clouds, the pilot is hooded and will be logging only simulated instrument time anyway.

 

[Becky]

Thanks. I just can't seem to get over the idea that a safety pilot should be able to take over for the PIC if needed, and catch any errors he makes in a timely fashion, and as such should be at least moderately familiar with the conditions and the aircraft.

I do realize that the assumption is made that the PIC is not going to pass out or expire during the flight. Still.

 

[poadeleted20]

Thanks. I just can't seem to get over the idea that a safety pilot should be able to take over for the PIC if needed, and catch any errors he makes in a timely fashion, and as such should be at least moderately familiar with the conditions and the aircraft.

It may be hard to wrap your head around it, but that's the way it is. Think of it this way -- if the pilot flying wasn't hooded, would a second pilot be required?

I do realize that the assumption is made that the PIC is not going to pass out or expire during the flight.

That assumption is made on every flight with only non-pilot passengers or solo.