Night VFR

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• Night VFR
• (The other 5 of flying.)

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• The information used in this presentation comes
  from
• Stoller, J., Flyings Forgotten 5, AOPA Flight
  Training, September 2004.
• Night VFR Checkup, AOPA Website at
  http//www.aopa.org/asf/hotspot/checkup.html
• Sportys Safety Quizzes, Night Operations
  Airport Lighting VFR at http//www.aopa.org/asf/
  hotspot/night_vfr.html
• LASORS 08

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• In order to carry passengers, you must be
  night current
• One takeoff and landing within the last 90 days
  unless you hold a valid instrument rating.
• Safety First Think You may be current, but
  are your proficient?

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• IM SAFE
• Illness
• Medication
• Stress
• Alcohol
• Fatigue
• Emotion

SAFETY FIRST!!
5

• Night is defined as the hours between the end
  of evening civil twilight and the beginning of
  morning civil twilight
• Meaning that night starts 30 minutes after
  sunset and ends 30 minutes before sunrise.

6

• The EYE
• The eye contains visual receptor cells called
  cones (daytime) and rods (nighttime).
• Eye requires about 30 minutes to adapt to dark.
• Depth perception, sharpness, and color is lost
  at night.
• The rods work best when you look off center at
  night.

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• The EYE
• Red light improves adaptation but interferes
  with chart reading and focusing on outside
  objects.
• Use minimal white light as needed.
• Bright lights ruin dark adaptation (close one
  eye when a light is used).
• High altitudes (above 5,000 ft), smoking, carbon
  monoxide, and vitamin A deficiency impair dark
  adaptation.

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• Things to keep in mind for night flying
• Carry a flashlight and extra batteries.
• Make sure all A/C lights are working
• Left wing RED
• Right wing Green
• Tail white
• Anti-collision
• Landing light

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• Things to keep in mind for night flying
• Keep strobes off until takeoff (can harm others
  pilots vision).
• Turn on landing/taxi lights to alert others.
• Plan a practice landing without landing lights.
• Always check NOTAMS to determine lighting
  status of destination/departing airports.

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• Things to keep in mind for night flying
• Use caution and taxi slowly.
• If operating from/to a strange airport, have a
  diagram or use progressive taxi (if towered).
• Hand signals are the same for day and night
  operations.
• Know your airport runway and taxiway markings.

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• Things to keep in mind for night flying

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• Things to keep in mind for night flying

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• Things to keep in mind for night flying

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• Rotating Becons
• Civilian airports use alternate white and
  green.
• Military airports use white, white, green.
• (If the beacon is rotating during the day, IFR
  conditions exist.)
• Blue/magenta star with open circle in middle
  indicates an airport with a rotating beacon.

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• Night VFR Airport Lighting
• Approach end lights are green.
• Runway edge lights are white.
• Last 2,000 feet are yellow.
• Runway end lightsare RED!!!!

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• Night VFR Airport Lighting
• Taxiway edge lights are blue and are used to
  outline the edges of the taxiways at night or in
  reduced visibility conditions.
• Taxiway turn off lights are steady green and
  define the curved path from the centerline to the
  taxiway.

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• Night VFR Airport Lighting
• Runway guard lights (wag lights) are steady
  yellow lights used to make the holding position
  more visible.

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Night VFR Airport Lighting

• Note the Hold position is marked by double lights
  on one side of the taxiway.

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Night VFR Airport Lighting

• Clearance bar lights are steady yellow
  in-pavement lights used to mark the holding
  position.

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• Night VFR Airport Lighting
• PAPI lights are typically visible 5 miles from
  the airport during the day and 20 miles at night.

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• Night VFR Airport Lighting
• When using a 3-bar VASI and you see 2 red bars
  above 1 white bar. You are on the lower glide
  path.
• The VASI assures clearance within 10 degrees of
  the extended runway centerline and out to 4
  nautical miles from the threshold.

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• Activating lights at non-towered airports
• Key microphone 7 times within 5 seconds on
  designated frequency (high intensity).
• While the CTAF is commonly used, you must check
  and verify (Airport/Facility Directory or
  instrument approach charts).
• 5 times gives medium intensity.
• 3 times gives low intensity.
• Provides 15 minutes lighting KEY AGAIN ON
  FINAL!

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• Flying techniques and procedures are the same
  for day and night operations
• Use standard pattern entry.
• Refer to current Airport/Facility Directory for
  all pertinent information.
• Navigation must be more precise!!
• If two airports are located in close proximity,
  make sure you are approaching the right one.

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• Concerns to keep in mind for night flying
• Difficulty in determining horizon over sparsely
  populated areas (lights on the ground blend
  with stars).
• If you feel disoriented, refer to instruments
  and/or go-around.
• Featureless terrain, visual obscuration, and few
  ground lights makes it difficult to judge
  terrain clearance possibly resulting in
  lower-than-normal approach.
• Bright lights and wide runways may result in a
  higher- than-normal approach.

• Use VASI/PAPI lights!

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• Concerns to keep in mind for night flying
• Structures and towers have guide wires stay
  clear
• Altitude is your friend fly high in case of
  engine failure.
• In case of engine failure, turn on landing
  light. If you like what you see, leave it on.
  If you dont like what you see, turn it off.
• Monitor the temperature and dew point spread.

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• Night VFR Checklist
• Chose your route wisely.
• Have current charts (lighting may effect
  readability).
• Use black or blue to highlight route.
• Determine safe enroute altitudes in advance
  (altitude is your friend).
• Get a current weather briefing before launching.
• Monitor the temperature and dew point spread.
• Get current NOTAMs for destination/departure
  airports.

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• Night VFR Checklist
• Land with 1 hour of fuel on board.
• If IFR, file IFR, or use flight following.
• Keep your reading glasses handy.
• Check all navigation/anti-collision and
  landing/taxi lights.
• Check panel and interiors lights.
• Check electrical system battery, alternator,
  voltage regulator.

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• Night VFR Checklist
• Have 2 torches and extra batteries.
• Have diagram of the destination/departure
  airport.
• Determine if the destination airport has
  VASI/PAPI light and USE THEM!
• Check sectional and Airport/Facility Directory
  for obstructions in vicinity of the airport.

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• The End
• Lets go fly and get night qualified.