Night solo flying / thought processes?

mandm

mandm

En-Route
PoA Supporter
Joined
Feb 7, 2020
Messages
2,836
Location
Chicago
Display Name
Display name:
Michael
Ever feel like your mind wanders when flying at night?

What was that noise? What was that? Is the engine getting rough? Checking engine instruments, richen the mixture a little, wait was that turbulence and not engine roughness? Where’s the nearest airport? Where’s a road? Where would I land if the engine quits? Does flying at night solo make your mind wander.
 
EvilEagle said:
There are sounds in a piston airplane that can ONLY be heard at night, over mountains, over the open ocean or a combination of these factors.

i know it and expect it but I still don’t like it.
Click to expand...
Literally tonight I thought the engine was getting rough (was a bit of wind gusting I’m guessing), checked EGTs which were rising, airspeed was slowing, umm WTF, richen mixture a little and direct to / nearest airport, then of course what’s the frequency and do they have runway lights, can I find the airport. Arg…

The mind can display so many scenarios in just a few seconds. Maybe turn up the music and enjoy the evening fireworks.

IMG_4126.jpeg
 
Nah, just listen to some music and enjoy the view.
 
A little bit. I think it’s good to be aware of the added risk, at least if you’re in a single engine. There have been tons of times where I’ll be taking off from someplace and overtly realize that if my engine quit, I’d be in big trouble, but the airplane has no concept of it being nighttime or over water, so I try not to get in my head.
 
mandm said:
Ever feel like your mind wanders when flying at night?

What was that noise? What was that? Is the engine getting rough? Checking engine instruments, richen the mixture a little, wait was that turbulence and not engine roughness? Where’s the nearest airport? Where’s a road? Where would I land if the engine quits? Does flying at night solo make your mind wander.
Click to expand...
Yes. One time a shooting star streaked across the sky and I thought it was traffic overtaking me. Scared the **** out of me. I had no problem staying focused the rest of the flight.
 
We had a hangar movie Top Gun last night, so the thoughts were gain altitude!! (If you know which scene I’m talking about w the engine failure).

Oh, wait a second, I’m in a piston single!
 
TommyG said:
Nah, just listen to some music and enjoy the view.
Click to expand...
I never got into music while flying but I definitely enjoy the view.

I did two night cross country flights with my instructor when I was a student pilot. I don't do it nearly as much as I used to, but have loved flying at night ever since. Never heard anything weird except for the time I accidentally shut the fuel off.
 
Last edited:
What's that red alternator light that just came on as I was about to enter IMC shortly after takeoff at night? Oh, of course . . .

I turned around quickly and made it back to the airport but didn't have enough battery power to contact the ground frequency. I stopped flying night IMC years ago. Things are a little less risky today with iPad and iPhone back up, but you still lose a lot of options when the battery dies.
 
mandm said:
Ever feel like your mind wanders when flying at night?

What was that noise? What was that? Is the engine getting rough? Checking engine instruments, richen the mixture a little, wait was that turbulence and not engine roughness? Where’s the nearest airport? Where’s a road? Where would I land if the engine quits? Does flying at night solo make your mind wander.
Click to expand...

That's not all wandering, some of it is exactly what should be on your mind at all times.
 
midlifeflyer said:
I never got into music while flying but I definitely enjoy the view.

I did two night cross country flights with my instructor when I was a student pilot. I don't do it nearly as much as I used to, but have loved flying at night ever since. Never heard anything weird except for the time I accidentally shut the fuel off.
Click to expand...
So you heard nothing? Or heard yourself say a few 4 letter words?
 
mandm said:
Ever feel like your mind wanders when flying at night?

What was that noise? What was that? Is the engine getting rough? Checking engine instruments, richen the mixture a little, wait was that turbulence and not engine roughness? Where’s the nearest airport? Where’s a road? Where wou I land if the engine quits? Does flying at night solo make your mind wander.
Click to expand...
Occasionally my mind wanders...I fly pretty often at night because it is cooler or I can't get to the airport until after work during the winter when it gets dark early.

I do listen to music most times, especially if I am working the pattern.

Makes me feel a little more confident since I do my own progressive maintance.
 
RyanB said:
Yeah I don’t understand that. Is flying *that* boring that you’ve gotta occupy the time with music? Listening to ATC is my music.
Click to expand...
When you (by which I mean Garmin) fly 3 hour legs through KC Center's airspace, sometimes it's nice to have something to pass the time. "Opposing Bases" and the JRE are often my empty leg companions.

Flying at night is beautiful. My kids love it. I don't. I have 700 hours, of which 25 is at night, and I live in probably the most friendly place on earth to have to make an off field landing at night.
 
RyanB said:
Yeah I don’t understand that. Is flying *that* boring that you’ve gotta occupy the time with music? Listening to ATC is my music.
Click to expand...
I used to be like that, listen to ATC in the air and in the hangar. Then became friends with the pilot next to my hangar who is a 21 year Captain. We fly with FF almost every vfr flight, so he is not afraid to speak to atc but he don't like listening to it in the air or especially in the hangar. Feels like work to him so I got away from listening so much.
 
Last edited:
Racerx said:
So you heard nothing? Or heard yourself say a few 4 letter words?
Click to expand...
I actually managed to do it twice :rolleyes1:

First was solo in a Cherokee. I realized what I had done as soon as I did it. No 4 letter words. Just called myself a moron and switched it back.
The second was soon after I began flying a Comanche. I was practicing approaches under the hood. The only sound was my safety pilot (who realized what I did) laughing at me.
 
Night solo flights been are of my favorite memories. I definitely notice higher mental acuteness though. Flying Friday night watching the huge storm near PIA from afar was an incredible show.
 
Flyer Scott said:
Night solo flights been are of my favorite memories. I definitely notice higher mental acuteness though. Flying Friday night watching the huge storm near PIA from afar was an incredible show.
Click to expand...
That was this last Friday night for me. I could see lightening from 55 nm away near Lexington Ky, clear where I was.

Then I flew this past Thursday morning at 5:30 am to beat a storm that coming from the NE in the dark. Could see lightening coming. I am solo 99% of the time except if you count my dog.

Friday and Saturday nights are my favorite nights to fly.
 
Last edited:
RyanB said:
Yeah I don’t understand that. Is flying *that* boring that you’ve gotta occupy the time with music? Listening to ATC is my music.
Click to expand...
It can be… but I like music when I’m flying for the same reason I like it on my motorcycle or in my truck. I like music and it enhances the enjoyment of the experience.

A few times crossing the ocean in a single seat airplane having music to pass the time between refueling was a life saver (literally).
 
I like flying at night, although not current at the moment. I want to get a little more comfortable in the Comanche during the day before getting night current in it. However, with the Cherokee, I did a lot of night flying. Up here, it gets dark at 4PM so if I didn't go at night, I wouldn't be doing a whole lot of flying between November and March. I like it but my personal minimums are MUCH stricter at night. Basically, unless it's a clear night, or at the very most few clouds above 10,000 ft I don't fly at night. Oh, and I always follow well lid roads or do airport hopping on night flights, trying to avoid large stretches with no ground lights. But, because of all these extra precautions I take for night flights, I don't feel any different on night flights and don't hear those sounds that only come up at night, over mountains or large bodies of water. Two of my favorite flights were night flights, one from Omaha to St. Louis. Took off during the day but sun set 30 minutes after takeoff so the vast majority was at night. The other one was from Sioux Falls to Fargo.
 
Fly high and route yourself over airports.

Right now in Texas it is the only option if you want to be comfortable while you fly.
 
RyanB said:
Yeah I don’t understand that. Is flying *that* boring that you’ve gotta occupy the time with music? Listening to ATC is my music.
Click to expand...
We’ll you have fun with. You be you.
 
Because AM radio stopped playing music I used to listen to talk shows. Really weird talk shows late at night. Like the time the guest was totally convinced that politicians are actually beings from a galaxy far, far away.

And yes, flying the southwest between 10pm and 6am gets really boring.
 
EvilEagle said:
There are sounds in a piston airplane that can ONLY be heard at night, over mountains, over the open ocean or a combination of these factors.

i know it and expect it but I still don’t like it.
Click to expand...
It also applied to turbine engines, more so over open water. Night is not a big factor.
 
Not judging those who listen to music I just never got into it myself when I'm doing another activity, IE, flying, skiing, or hiking. Part of the experience for me are the natural sounds..

However when I cook or am working music is a must
 
Pinecone said:
It also applied to turbine engines, more so over open water. Night is not a big factor.
Click to expand...
I don’t have very much single engine turbine time; all in an A-4 and I was constantly checking the oil pressure in that thing! None of this has ever been a factor for me in multi engine turbines.
 
Even in a turbine multi (A-10), I started hearing strange noises when out of sight of land. :D
 
Pinecone said:
Even in a turbine multi (A-10), I started hearing strange noises when out of sight of land. :D
Click to expand...
Never had that in an Eagle but we spent most of our time way out over water so we can make the booms.
 
Not crazy about night flying as I get older. Like to be able to see the places I might have to land in ,if I should have an engine problem.
 
For me, night XC is basically IFR. I always file for night XC. It is usually very quiet when you get away from metro airports, and ATC sometimes sounds bored, too. Night XC is usually a smooth ride, however. It's probably a good idea to file over friendlier terrain at night for extra margin. I don't mind flying a few extra miles if it's closer to more enroute airports in case of an issue. Occasionally ATC tries to help me by giving me direct over the Catskills, but I prefer to keep my routing over the Hudson and Mohawk valleys "due to terrain."
 
Anybody doing any flying with the "super moon" the last couple nights? I was noticing how bright it was last night and was thinking about going and getting current.... But then I remembered the bugs....
 
Jim K said:
Anybody doing any flying with the "super moon" the last couple nights? I was noticing how bright it was last night and was thinking about going and getting current.... But then I remembered the bugs....
Click to expand...
Those bugs do not want to come off the leading edges!

With that bright moon will we see any aurora at 6Y9?
 
Jim K said:
Anybody doing any flying with the "super moon" the last couple nights? I was noticing how bright it was last night and was thinking about going and getting current.... But then I remembered the bugs....
Click to expand...

Thinking about it. The flight, that is, not the bugs.
 
I flew late enough Monday night to see it, it is huge when it first comes up and rises later each night this week as you all know. I flew every night/eve this week but only Monday night late enough to see the moon when flying . Sometimes it is like day flying at night
I am sitting in my hangar facing east watching it come up as I type. 9:30 at night now.
I flew aeveryday this past month except for the 2nd of Aug. Somedays it was just around the pattern. Going to try to keep it going for awhile longer during this good weather.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top