Night Operations

Night flying poses significant changes to the way we plan our flights.

First, there are two definitions to night.

1) Pertaining to night requirements and use of lights etc., night begins at sunset and ends at sunrise.

2) Pertaining to logging of actual "night" flying hours, night begins one hour after sunset and ends one hour before sunrise.

You can find sunset/sunrise in Airman's Almanac, or just go on google.

Vision

•Rods, rather than Cones are the primary source in the eye for viewing at night.  Sensitivity to color is lacking, but peripheral vision and detection of motion is strong.

•If a light is shined in your eyes, it will take the Rods another 30 minutes to adjust to the darkness.

•Cockpit lighting should be dimmed so that it does not interfere with outside viewing.

•Preflight procedures should be conducted as usual, but will require a standard white flashlight.  For interior reading of charts, a small penlight with red lens is preferred as this will not cause glare.  HOWEVER:  A red light on a chart will not allow the features of the chart that are in red, to be readily visible.

•Autokinesis is the perception of motion when staring at a light that is still.  Eventually that light will appear to move.

Remember, immediately at sunset, an aircraft's lights must be turned on.  These include the 

•Anti-Collision Light (Beacon), which should be on during the day anyway . . .

•Position Lights (Nav Lights), as shown below . . .

•Landing/Taxi Lights are helpful in depth perception, but shining them into other pilots direction while taxiing should be avoided.

Required Night VFR Equipment

In addition to all the Day VFR equipment listed in TOMATOFLAMES, for Night we add FLAPS

F uses (or circuit breakers)

L anding Light

A nti-Collision Light

P osition Light

S ource of Power (Alternator or Generator to power all the electric components)

Airport Ops

Colors of various Airport Lights

Taxiway Edge Lights = Blue

Taxiway Centerline Lights = Green

Runway Edge Lights = White, then Amber for last 1000 ft on instrument approach runways

Runway Centerline Lights = White, then alternating Red/White beginning at last 3000 ft., then Red for last 1000 ft.

Threshold Lights = Green facing pilot approaching, Red at far end facing pilot approaching

Beacons

Civil Airport = Green/White

Military Airport = White/White/Green

Seaplane Base = White/Yellow

Heliport = White/Yellow/Green

To determine what type of airport lighting exists at a particular field, consult the A/FD.  Generally, if there is Pilot-Controlled lighting available, the pilot tunes to the CTAF frequency and keys the mic 7 x for high intensity. then 5 x for medium, or 3 x for low intensity. 

Flight Planning

In many cases, no change in flight planning from Day VFR needs to change.  However, to better prepare for an unexpected emergency, it is best to choose a path that goes over lighted areas and roads. Black areas can indicate an empty field, but they can also mean mountains or large bodies of water.

Weather briefings are also important.  Clouds will be difficult to see and advection fog is not uncommon -- especially in Southern California as the temperature cools.

Occasionally a plane may inadvertently fly into a cloud.  DONT PANIC.  Focus on your instruments.  Be sure to maintain altitude, don't try and descend under the cloud.   In most cases, it's best to make a 180º and exit the way you came in.  

Night Emergencies

Electrical failures are more likely to happen at night because of the increased load on the system from lights and other equipment.  Do not panic.  If a circuit breaker pops, determine what caused the overload, and reduce the load before resetting the breaker.  If it pops out a second time, leave it.

In the event of an engine failure, set for best glide, follow checklist, and find suitable landing area (preferably close to civilization) in a reasonably well-lit area to avoid power lines and other hidden obstructions.