Black hole approach to unfamiliar rural airport

[Palmpilot]

My home airport (rural) is the epitome of the "black hole" at night. It only has LIRL runway lights and is surrounded by brightly lit businesses and a state prison. You cannot see the runway lights until you're right on top of it, combined with the calm wind runway slopes downhill. You can easily find you way to "about where the airport is supposed to be" from a long way off but seeing the runway itself in the dark is quite a challenge...

I was under the impression that the term "black hole approach" referred to an unlighted area under the final approach course, which tends to suck you into it (like the black holes that have been discovered by astronomers). That seems to be consistent with the description in the article.

 

[Palmpilot]

...See the attached picture. You could be on any of the glide paths below and you may not know which glide path you are actually on because the runway width would look the same whether you are at A, B or C...

That's why I suggested ignoring the runway width.

 

[polaris]

That's why I suggested ignoring the runway width.

Ah ok. Yeah, I misread your post. So without GPS information re: distance from runway threshold, how would you know when to start your descent in normal config if at an unfamiliar airport?

 

[Av8er]

Polaris

You absolutely did the correct thing and had reason to be concerned.
Going low on the ILS when flying visually proved to you that illusions are real and must be taken seriously when landing at night.

I would never do a straight in approach, to an unfamiliar field, at night without an approach and/or PAPI.

As a pilot you are a risk manager. The risk, however small, is too large for me. Fly some type of close in pattern or safer yet go somewhere else.

George

 

[Henning]

Ah ok. Yeah, I misread your post. So without GPS information re: distance from runway threshold, how would you know when to start your descent in normal config if at an unfamiliar airport?

This is the one situation in civilian flying where a tight 'overhead break' type approach comes in handy. Cross the threshold at pattern altitude then a spiraling descending approach to past the threshold lights.

 

[flyingcheesehead]

This is the one situation in civilian flying where a tight 'overhead break' type approach comes in handy.

Or a plain old traffic pattern.

(I didn't know you'd bought an RV. )

 

[denverpilot]

Or a plain old traffic pattern.

(I didn't know you'd bought an RV. )

Can you zoom climb away from a black hole?

(Sorry Jay. Ha.)

 

[Palmpilot]

Ah ok. Yeah, I misread your post. So without GPS information re: distance from runway threshold, how would you know when to start your descent in normal config if at an unfamiliar airport?

Once I was satisfied that I was past any terrain or other obstacles, I would start the descent when the threshold lights were at the same height on the windscreen as they are on a normal final approach.

And of course, if I saw something start to block my view of the threshold lights, I would climb immediately, because I would know that I screwed up somehow!

I usually don't make straight-ins to uncontrolled fields when I'm VFR, however. (I'm not saying it's wrong to do so; it's just not my habit.)

 

[Velocity173]

Couldn't you just put the threshold lights at the normal position on the windscreen, using your normal descent configuration, and ignore the apparent width of the runway light pattern?

Yeah that helps if you only fly one aircraft and have the position of the runway end lights memorized and you're able to keep then there.

I'm referring to the illusion (size distance) that might make one disregard what they're seeing and adjust their altitude on perception. Greater runway width is one problem but runway length and upslope also contribute. That's why it's important to use multiple visual inputs to overcome the illusion of coming in too high.

 

[Fearless Tower]

Sounds like there are a lot of people here who don't know what a black hole approach really is.

Or believe they exist

 

[Henning]

To me a "black hole approach" is what you do over unlit terrain when the engine quits working.

 

[Fearless Tower]

This is the one situation in civilian flying where a tight 'overhead break' type approach comes in handy. Cross the threshold at pattern altitude then a spiraling descending approach to past the threshold lights.

I'd be careful with that. I can see a lot of airport situations where a pilot could get serious spatial D attempting a tight OB at night.

 

[Fearless Tower]

To me a "black hole approach" is what you do over unlit terrain when the engine quits working.

I like that description.

 

[flyingcheesehead]

Or believe they exist

Well, the FAA believes they exist... Not that they're infallible, but there are enough people right here on this board that have experienced the phenomenon that it's probably a bad idea to say it doesn't exist simply because you've never seen it.

 

[denverpilot]

I'd be careful with that. I can see a lot of airport situations where a pilot could get serious spatial D attempting a tight OB at night.

Yup.

And I could split my head open slipping and falling on the toilet while taking a whiz.

Guess a man has to know his limitations.

 

[Fearless Tower]

Well, the FAA believes they exist... Not that they're infallible, but there are enough people right here on this board that have experienced the phenomenon that it's probably a bad idea to say it doesn't exist simply because you've never seen it.

I agree, just referring to some other comments on this thread.

 

[MAKG1]

I'd be careful with that. I can see a lot of airport situations where a pilot could get serious spatial D attempting a tight OB at night.

I have no experience in such things, but maybe under these circumstances, it makes more sense to fly the "overhead break" at approach speed, rather than full speed.

 

[ChitDisturber]

Not sure what you mean by black hole. Most airports have lights. Get the sight picture where you want it and the land airplane. Pretty simple.

More or less, but there can be other factors.

New to you airport night landing, up slope, down slope, width compared to your "standard profile" airport, desired GS factoring terrain that might not be visable.

On unfamiliar airports without any type of vertical guidance I've been know to come in high till my lights hit the threshold and slip down.


Tip: get HIDs.

 

[ChitDisturber]

This is the one situation in civilian flying where a tight 'overhead break' type approach comes in handy. Cross the threshold at pattern altitude then a spiraling descending approach to past the threshold lights.

I've done night spiral to lands a few times for diffrent reasons, done it with students too.

Honestly that maneuver exceeds most recreational pilots abilities (yourself probably included Henning), unless you are VERY proficient (fly a constant 50hrs a mo min, with a healthy chunk at night), sounds like a great way to kill the average weekend 172 or cirrus "driver"

 

[Fearless Tower]

Yup.

And I could split my head open slipping and falling on the toilet while taking a whiz.

Guess a man has to know his limitations.

Well, there's your problem right there....you aren't supposed to stand ON the toilet while taking a leak.

But in all seriousness, it is a basic physiological problem. Flying a tight circle while looking sideways out the window in the dark is an excellent way to induce Spatial D. The problem about knowing limitations is that for most of us GA folks, we have many more day hours than night in our logbooks.

I have fortunately never experienced Spatial D myself, but know several who have and those that I talked to about their experiences all had it happen circling at night in either VMC or IMC. All of the ones I have spoken to were fortunate to have had a second pilot onboard when it happened.

There is a reason the Navy doesn't do OBs to the boat at night.