Night current again

psween

psween

Pre-takeoff checklist
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Mar 16, 2015
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psween
Hard to get night current in MN in summer, it doesn't get dark until I want to be in bed! Went out last night and flew to the neighboring airport, did two landings and fueled up, then home for the third. My homemade runway lights on the grass strip are working well, but you really have to know where to look. They are visible from about 3-4 miles out, so not really useful for finding the field, just good for lining up and landing. Might have to add more lights and tighten up the spacing. Sure fun to be able to come home and not have to rush to get back by dark though.
 
Or some LED spotlights pointing up at the approach end (or downwind leg). Just don’t blind yourself.
 
Some airports are just that way. We have pilot controlled runway edge lights at my aerodrome, but you really can’t see them unless you intentionally look for it and know where to look.
 
Unlike the pilot controlled lights at KOLM. Fire those up and there is no doubt at all where the airport and N-S runway are. None whatsoever.
 
I have a flashing green beacon, supposed to be visible from 5-7 miles, but I spot it about the same time as I pick up the runway lights. I might have to upgrade that to a 16 mile LED beacon. The runway lights are just the little $10 solar LED path markers from Amazon, mounted on 2' PVC posts. They're pretty bright but also pretty directional, so you have to be pretty well lined up to see them. Overall they're more than usable, and I've only got 10 of them, spaced 500' apart. I think another 8 and drop the spacing to 300' would make them stand out more.
 
I just got night current in MN last week.

Sometimes I'm tempted to turn off the lights. As I taxied out at Sunset + 61minutes to knock out 3 I see the deer walking across the runway and taxiway. And then there are the bugs.

Must have been sweet to park the plane and just walk to the house - envy :)
 
Timbeck2 said:
Every time I want to go get night current its either too hot, too windy or too late.
Click to expand...
Ours almost the exact opposite up here. The easiest time to go night flying is in winter, its not too late and its no too windy...but its too damned cold.
 
Definitely amazing to taxi in, park and walk up to the house. We don't really need lights, we don't fly much in winter, and summer it stays light out long enough to rarely want them, but on those rare occasions it sure beats landing at KFKA and borrowing the van for the drive home, then having to go back to pick up the plane the next day. All in, I think my lights cost under $250, so I can afford to add more or play around until I get them the way I want. Tempted to try to rig up a two light VASI, just for the interesting challenge, even though it's also not needed.
 
Tried SoCal for 6 years, but it didn't take. Some things I miss, but not many! For one thing, the cost of living means I'd probably never have owned a plane, much less my own runway if I'd stayed out there. Some very beautiful flying weather out there though.
 
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