10 tips for night flying
Source: Plane and Pilot
Publication date: 2002-12-01
Arrival time: 2002-12-03


This checklist will make the most of some pilots' favorite flying condition--darkness!


"You're Crazy!"

That's what a lot of people tell me when I say I like flying at night in single-engine airplanes. In fact, when the weather's right, there are few vistas more beautiful than above the twinkling of a city's lights or in the nearly seamless transition from spotty, rural lights to a dark, starry sky The air is usually smooth and the temperature is cool, perfect for passengers. The specter of losing your only engine looms over any decision to fly, particularly at night, but if you take time to evaluate the risks, you may find that a night flight is worth taking. Here are some tips for confidently launching into the night behind a single propeller.


* 1 Know Your Airplane

Our eyes are designed for daylight operations. Everything is harder to do visually at night; you don't want to compound the risk of flying in an unfamiliar airplane by trying to do so in the dark. Don't nightfly until you feel very comfortable in the airplane.

Try to get at least five hours in that particular ship (not just time-in-type) before you fly it at night-- you won't feel truly comfortable with the layout and nuances in less time, and if something is less than "perfect," you'll want to find out when you can see. Develop or reinforce habit patterns for that specific airplane before you fly it at night. If you haven't flown it in a while, get some day time first.


* 2 Be Patient After Maintenance

Don't make a night flight right after airplane maintenance or an annual inspection. Mechanics are people, too, and sometimes leave controls, switches and even more critical items out of "normal" position. Sometimes, repairs or inspections will push some airplane systems closer to

Nighttime is the wrong time to get to know your panel,eL If you rent, spend at least five hours in the plane (not just type) during the day so that locating the gauges and switches becomes automatic.

The failure point. Minor work, like an oil change or a transponder check, warrants a daylight post-maintenance test flight before you fly after dark. Anything more involved-like an annual or 100-hour inspection, major avionics work or anything that might possibly involve work with or near control or trim systems, autopilots, or flap or landing-gear motors-calls for at least an hour or so of daylight testing before risking a night mission.


* 3 Get Ready

Develop your own "Night Preflight" checklist to supplement your normal walkaround inspection. Be sure to check all external and internal lights for normal operation. Know how to dim instrument panel and avionics lighting for comfort. If your airplane automatically night-dims indications like the landing gear, you need to know that ahead of time. Check all of those flashlights you carry in your flight bag, and make sure at least a couple of functioning flashlights are within easy reach of the pilots seat. Fold your charts before you start the engine and double-check your fuel level.


* 4 Respect The Weather

You won't be able to see most adverse weather at night before you fly into it. There's also a big difference between a full-moon night and a trip under clouds or a "new" moon. Pledge right now that you'll never fly at night without a thorough preflight weather briefing, Doublecheck the temperature/dew point spread and its trend- - converging spreads mean lowering cloud decks and visibilities. Ask about precipitation, which can rapidly reduce night visibilities to nil. Check weather not only along your immediate route of flight, but for a hundred miles or so in either direction--especially unwind because that's what's moving toward you. on, If you're flying on instruments after dark, raise your "personal minimums" to provide a greater margin for error (and a better way out in the unlikely event you do have an engine problem). I like VFR flight at night and IFR in "marginal VFR" conditions, but I don't like combining "full IFR" or, most certainly, "low IFR" with a single-engine night flight.


* 5 Plan Your Route

Fixed-base operators (FBOs) at most general-aviation airports close at sunset. You might have trouble finding ground transportation, fuel service or even runway lighting at many airfields at night. Do your homework. Call ahead to the FBO, if necessary, to find out its hours of operation and available services. If convenient, use airports at towered fields, where 24- hour service is usually available. Plan shorter trip lengths because you may need more than the "legal" 45 minutes of reserve fuel to get to an open airport. Plan your route over lower, flat terrain since you won't see the mountains in the dark. A "direct" route might not always be your best choice-dogleg around desolate areas or large bodies of water; you

Whenever possible, fly into towered airports. They have better services, are generally better lit and the controllers can assist you in finding your way.

You may want to fly from airport to airport, making a new "go/no-go" decision as you pass each one.


* 6 Know Your Limitations

Not everyone is a "night person." Nighttime presents a significant psychological barrier, and you may not be awake enough to safely complete a flight after dark. Remember, you need to be alert not only at the start of a night flight, but at its conclusion as well. For instance, I tire easily in the late evenings, so I do my night flying during the predawn hours, after a good night's rest. Do what works best for you, but don't ignore the hazards of fatigue.


* 7 Get Outside Help

You'll improve safety immensely by participating in air traffic control (ATC) services. File a flight plan (even if VFR) for cross- country flights and participate in flight following. At the very least, someone will be watching out for you, and if you have trouble, they'll know where to look for you right away. Get weather updates en route through Flight Service outlets, but remember that Flight Watch (frequency 122.0) closes down late at night. You can also listen to automated weather from airports along your route. File pilot reports-it'll make the night go/no-go decision easier for the next pilot.


* 8 Avoid Engine Failure

Sounds simple, eh? Actually, it's easier to avoid engine problems at night than you might think. All of that daytime "test-flying" after maintenance, inspection or periods of inactivity is designed, in part, to identify powerplant problems before you fly at night. Know how the engine is running and what's "normal" for oil temperature, oil pressure, fuel flow, cylinder temperature and exhaust gas temperature. This will inspire confidence with normal indications and prompt an immediate deviation and landing if the "needles" point elsewhere.

Safe night flying requires extra caution in all areas. A thorough weather briefing, safe altitude, additional fuel reserve and the "I'm Safe" checklist become even more important than during the day. Since finding safe emergency landing sites at night is particularly difficult, choose a route with airports at regular intervals, and if something isn't right land immediately.

Safe night flying requires extra caution in all areas. A thorough weather briefing, safe altitude, additional fuel reserve and the "I'm Safe" checklist become even more important than during the day. Since finding safe emergency landing sites at night is particularly difficult choose a route with airports at regular intervals, and if something isn't right land immediately.

Even more confidence-inspiring, however, is the historical fact that the most common cause of engine failure is fuel mismanagement by the pilot. Plan your flight with shorter trip lengths and you'll be less likely to run out of gas. Properly lean the fuel/air mixture to obtain expected fuel flows and monitor the fuel burn rate (fuel bum x time aloft, panel gauges, fuel totalizers) to make sure you're not exceeding the fuel bum you expect. Recompute your "fuel remaining at destination" regularly. Follow a strict, written schedule of switching fuel tanks, if your airplane doesn't have a "both tanks" setting. Shine your flashlight outside every now and then and check for signs of fuel leaking from loose fuel caps or, if flying a high-wing airplane, from the bottom of fuel strainers. Divert to a nearby airport at the first sign that your fuel bum rate is exceeding your estimates or as soon as you find yourself dipping into your preplanned fuel reserve. N9 Be Ready

Safe night flying requires extra caution in all areas. A thorough weather briefing, safe altitude, additional fuel reserve and the "I'm Safe" checklist become even more important than during the day. Since finding safe emergency landing sites at night is particularly difficult choose a route with airports at regular intervals, and if something isn't right land immediately.


* 9 For Emergencies

Be ready in the event that something bad does happen. Single- engine airplanes often have few redundant or backup systems for such things as instrument or electrical failure. And of course, by definition, a single-engine airplane has no powerplant backup. Don't fly at night (or at all) unless you know the failure modes for airplane systems by heart and, more importantly, how to care for "sick" indications and respond to total failures. Practice skills like partial-panel flight and electrical failures with an instructoror just sit in the cockpit on the ground and run through some emergency scenarios. Dig through the Pilot's Operating Handbook and uncover ways to counter systems failure in flight. Make a set of flash cards with names of emergency procedures on them, then randomly pull one out and run through the response in the cockpit.

Get familiar with your airplane. Test it out in daylight, and monitor fuel, engine and other indications. Land at the very first sign of trouble and you won't likely have an engine failure in the dark. But in case you do have an engine-out at night, your preflight preparations and route planning will put you in the best possible situation for dealing with it.


* 10 Have Fun

Once you equip yourself and the airplane, know your systems, watch your fuel, respect the weather, plan your trip and fly your plan, you can relax and enjoy. Although night flying can be an extra challenge, especially when it comes to navigating and landing, the scenery at night will make it all worthwhile. Carefully done, night flight in single-engine airplanes isn't a crazy stunt; it can be the most fun you'll ever have.


Copyright Werner Publishing Corporation Dec 2002

Publication date: 2002-12-01