First night lesson prep?

Dmitri Scheidel

Dmitri Scheidel

Pre-Flight
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Aug 3, 2016
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53
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Northern California
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NorCali.Pilot
Hello,
I am having my first night time lesson Thursday and I was wondering if there was anything I could to prepare for it. I think it may be a local flight or just around the pattern.
 
Just like driving at night.

Might brush up on airport lights and what they do or mean.
 
Never enough flashlights. Including a headlamp for moving about the dark ramp and setting up cockpit, and a small penlight on a lanyard (never fails that when you need a light, it's in your flight bag or hiding in fear under your seat).

Also read up on the physio items regarding night flying. You're gonna get quizzed on this eventually.
 
If possible, do your preflight while there's still daylight. Check all the required lights are functioning. Watch out for trees. :D
 
Look over required night equipment, night illusions and what kind of lighting your airport has
 
First night landing, I found that my depth perception was way off. Instructor was interceding to flair while I thought that we were still too high. Before I could get more than a couple of words out, we touched down. I was totally confident and had no awareness that I was screwing up. Talk to your instructor about it.
 
Just remember, a flashlight is an aviation term for a dead battery holder. Check it BEFORE you get to the airport.

Try to find a DIM one. Most of the ones you can find easily are FAR too bright and will screw up your night vision in short order.
 
Get ready to rediscover your love of flying.
Night flying is so much smoother and calmer and I swear you will even perceive it as quieter.

Planes in the sky look closer than they really are and lights will play w/ your vision.
A bright light may seem a lot closer than a dimmer one even if it is much further away.

Only tip I can provide from personal experience is if I don't have a horizon for reference, I start to feel like I am leaning one direction or another. I bring my eyes inside and fly the AI for a few seconds and it tends to re-level my brain.
 
My personal preference for in the cockpit flashlights are blue light. Some prefer green or red, but I find those colors can hide colors on a VFR chart.
 
Learn and physically practice what is needed to activate your runway lights from the air so you know what it takes...my first night training flight we were doing a bunch of closed traffic pattern work and one one lap the runway lights timed out and went off on short final! Not a big deal once you get some time but can catch you off guard when starting out.
 
I've only done the night training flight so far, but what I recall most about it was the urge I kept having to turn on the headlights(as in a car). When you're at 3000 or so, there is nothing for the light to hit!

as far as tips, ??, have you done any hood work, its a lot like that unless you have a big city around.
 
Any flashlight and a little snip off a gel sheet used in stage lightning will allow you to adjust the color. I have 4 or 5 little lights I picked up at Walmart for $1 each with a pinkish gel in them. Works great.
 
What was said about depth perception is spot on. Most of my night landings are like carrier landings ie thump, because I think I'm higher than I am. Im just starting my flare and boom, the wheel touch.

Went night flying last night in fact. I love it!
 
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Night flying is the best; however it's not something I do frequently in a single. Your visual cues will be thrown way off at first, but you'll adapt.
 
I'll definetly look into head lights. All the ones on Amazon right now are super high LED's for camping, so I may look into Sportys and see if they have anything.

And the perception thing is what I think I will end up having the most trouble with. When I first started lessons, every landing was a porpoise because I've been using a sim the last 8 years and my perception was way off than the real thing.

And I do have all my hood work done ( plus a little more), my instructor was extremely impressed.
 
There are certain engine sounds that can only be heard at night. If you lose the engine, don't aim for a dark spot.
 
Dmitri Scheidel said:
I'll definetly look into head lights. All the ones on Amazon right now are super high LED's for camping, so I may look into Sportys and see if they have anything.
Click to expand...

I bought this one and like it.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00SR20JLS/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I didn't wear it as a headlamp while flying, just around my neck and with it on the red setting it was enough glow to read the chart, my flight plan, and the gauges but not affect what I saw outside the plane.
 
Get two headlamps while you're at it. And if needed, learn how to dim your GPS screen beforehand.
 
I use a headlamp that I bought from the Walmart camping section---has white, red , blue Light options. ( I only use the red in flight ). As others said night is smoother normally. Make sure to use your instruments to verify what your head and butt feel.
 
You do know the emergency landing protocol for night landings. Turn your landing lights on, if you don't like what you see. turn 'em back off. :eek:

The air is smooth and it can be some of the most enjoyable flying, but unless you have a lit up city / airport near you... you screwed if you have a problem. I don't fly cross country after dark. I just go out and do some night landings, just in case I am coming back in late, to keep my recency. It really is important to me to keep my recency, you do lose ground orientation at night. I usually do a few landings in pattern and then fly out a little ways and come back to enter the downwind once or twice.

For your question, get yourself a really good flashlight and a backup as well. They are invaluable. I use 'em all the time. I picked up a Smith and Wesson aviation flashlight that has all the colors. You need them, and backup batteries. Now, go fly!
 
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