Night VFR

[airguy]

One thing I do pay extra attention to at night is the VASI. I tend to come in too high otherwise.

That got me thinking, and I realized that night landings are about the only time I even SEE a VASI. My daylight landings I just use the TLAR method (That Looks About Right).

 

[azure]

That got me thinking, and I realized that night landings are about the only time I even SEE a VASI. My daylight landings I just use the TLAR method (That Looks About Right).

Same here, but there are also many runways (mostly at rural, uncontrolled fields) that I won't even TRY to land on at night without a VASI or PAPI. Power lines on short final and the PAPI is out? Forget it, I'll land downwind if necessary, or go somewhere else.

 

[dmccormack]

Same here, but there are also many runways (mostly at rural, uncontrolled fields) that I won't even TRY to land on at night without a VASI or PAPI. Power lines on short final and the PAPI is out? Forget it, I'll land downwind if necessary, or go somewhere else.

Yep.

Came in one night with a Bonanza -- very dark, overcast, and very windy and rough. Runway 5 is LOC and has a PAPI -- 30 degree crab and I'm still being blown off course. So I went around for runway 14 (into the wind).

PAPI is OTS INDEF at KVVS. There's also a nice big ridge just east of the field.

I was very tempted to fly it down ("That looks about right...) -- but it's a classic black hole approach with a runway surrounded by trees, no lights on the ground before the airport, and fairly low intensity runway lights.

So I reminded myself to hold it up until I could see paint on the runway.

Once I saw those numbers I dove for the runway, applied full flaps, and landed fine.

But I logged that as a "I did that once but won't do it again" moment.