Next week my schedule aligns with decent illumination from the moon. Civil twilight ends around 5:30 pm. But I want to understand the risks. Of course I will discuss this with my instructor, but I also like showing up having done my homework. The think that concerns me about night flying is not seeing visible moisture. I was planning on getting a Wx briefing... of course. cloud layers are easy. if they are at 6000.... don't fly at 6000. But I feel like I should set a go/no go if the temp/dew point get close.... IDK 5 degrees?? Is that a safe way to think about it? Please go gentle.... I'm just a student. how do you plan a night flight, particularly in the winter?
Night Flight hours... in winter in Connecticut
- Thread starter Tony R
- Start date
Huh? Log night according to 14 CFR 1.1 definition.
Night means the time between the end of evening civil twilight and the beginning of morning civil twilight, as published in the Air Almanac, converted to local time.
The takeoffs/landings for night currency are what needs to be logged >1hr after sunset and <1hr before sunrise.
I’m assuming this is your night dual training. Temp/dew point spread can be informative, as is knowing whether the air is getting wetter or drier overall, are there lakes/rivers nearby, are there mountains or valleys around that may impact local weather conditions.
Other big things to cover are the visual illusions at night, airport lighting, to include pilot controlled lightning, and identifying the airport at night.
Cold air carries less moisture than warm air. I'd be a lot more concerned with a 3 degree (C) split at 20°C OAT vs at -5°C.
For reference, air at 20°C saturates at 17.3 g/m³ (0.0173 oz/ft³). Air at -5°C saturates at 3.37 g/m³ (0.0034 oz/ft³).
dmspilot
Final Approach
- Joined
- Oct 20, 2006
- Messages
- 6,774
- Display Name
- DISPLAY NAME
Checking the moon illumination is a nice idea, but useless unless you also check the moonrise and moonset times.
Avoid hostile terrain, plan a route that passes over intermediate airports in case a diversion is necessary, and choose an altitude high enough to give you options in case of an emergency. At least two navigation sources should be used, but don't rely on pilotage at night, as it is rather difficult in most areas of the country. Dead reckoning combined with GPS is probably the most common option; we used DR and VOR back before GPS was ubiquitous.
As a CFI I used the night XC as an opportunity to practice ATC communication by getting flight following and landing at at least one towered airport. Also practiced filing, opening and closing a flight plan.
- Joined
- May 25, 2006
- Messages
- 22,003
- Location
- KTTA, North Carolina
- Display Name
- Who you kiddin?
- Home Airfield
- KTTA
I did a substantial part of my instrument training at night in Connecticut. Some of it in the clouds,
- Joined
- May 25, 2006
- Messages
- 22,003
- Location
- KTTA, North Carolina
- Display Name
- Who you kiddin?
- Home Airfield
- KTTA
Echoing @TCABM, recheck the applicable definition of night.
Night means the time between the end of evening civil twilight and the beginning of morning civil twilight, as published in the Air Almanac, converted to local time
Don’t confuse that with the rules for two special cases: the requirements for carrying passengers at night and when you need your nav lights on. You might notice that the body of both of those two don’t use the word “night” (the currency reg does use it in the paragraph title).
Last edited:
MauleSkinner
Touchdown! Greaser!
Aside from knowing where the bases/layers are supposed to be, note that if lights on the ground start to flicker and/or disappear, it probably means there’s something between you and them…scattered clouds can be entertaining if you accidentally fly into them, especially as a student.
Also note that if the runway lights start to flicker or disappear when you’re on final, there are probably trees or something more solid than clouds between you and them. Don’t ask me how I know.
455 Bravo Uniform
Final Approach
For this flight, if you’re pleased with the moon phase and resultant moonlight, then having ceilings will negate any benefit (unless they are very thin).
In the evening, in warmer weather, you don’t want temp & DP to get close enough to cause ground fog. Wind will be a benefit. Unless you have freezing fog warnings in the winter, you’ll be fine.
Just fly on a clear night, which in the Midwest at least will mean dry arctic northerly winds. Frigid cold.
In the evening, in warmer weather, you don’t want temp & DP to get close enough to cause ground fog. Wind will be a benefit. Unless you have freezing fog warnings in the winter, you’ll be fine.
Just fly on a clear night, which in the Midwest at least will mean dry arctic northerly winds. Frigid cold.
MauleSkinner
Touchdown! Greaser!
But it’s a dry cold, so it doesn’t feel all that cold.
Gilbert Buettner
Cleared for Takeoff
You are thinking of the night currency requirements - takeoffs and landings at least one hour after sundown and one hour before sunrise. You can log night flight from the end of evening civil twilight, but the takeoffs and landings won't count for passenger-carrying currency until an hour after sundown. And the currency requires you to log takeoffs, so it is possible to takeoff after the end of evening civil twilight and log it as night flight, but it would not count for currency if it is less than one hour after sunset..
Yup, checked and rechecked. Clouds are the wild card next week. The plane and the cfi are IFR equipped, rated and proficient. I like to get on top, with my CFI but I will save that for the day time. Once I get my PPL then I will work on IFR, until then I kinda want to avoid night. I will just do the minimum for my PPL. Night to me is like IFR.
- Joined
- Jun 7, 2008
- Messages
- 2,261
- Display Name
- Andrew, CFI-I
Turn down all the cockpit lights and give your eyes time to adapt. In the old days this was straightforward, but with today’s screen-filled cockpits, many pilots don't get the opportunity to experience just how sensitive human vision becomes in darkness.
I remember a discussion about night visibility while flying over the New Mexico desert on a moonless night. My instructor told me to turn off all the cockpit lights - not just dim them, but switch them off completely. After about ten minutes, I was genuinely surprised by how much I could see outside. Starlight and the night glow can provide enough photons to reveal terrain, if you give your eyes the chance to adjust. I still remember it 30 years later.
Gilbert Buettner
Cleared for Takeoff
When I learned to fly in the Air Force, we would prepare for night flights by sitting in a dark room for a half hour. One interesting experiment, if you have oxygen, is to fly for a while at night and then start breathing supplemental O2. You will be astounded at how bright all the lights on the ground will be after a very short time.