Night Operations - Enroute1 Night Operations Departure/Enroute/Approach Planning Ted Spitzmiller

Night Operations - Enroute2 Equipment Flashlight –spare batteries and bulbs –spare flashlight Clear glasses (transition from sunglasses at dusk) –spare glasses Portable GPS Handheld radio Keep them HANDY

Night Operations - Enroute3 Preparation and Flight Planning Familiarity with aircraft, systems, performance. Blindfold cockpit check; can pull the wrong control/miss right control in the dark. A/FD for Destination AND Departure airport info –lighting (runway, PCL, lights yes/no) –Obstacles –tower hours Check NOTAMS for inop airport lighting systems Call ahead for local info

Night Operations - Enroute4 Preflight Airplane Inspection Daylight if possible Setup/test cockpit lighting: –know where the light switches are Test ammeter (loadmeters vs ammeters) Test nav, taxi, and landing lights

Night Operations - Enroute5 Taxiing IFR instrument check Strobes off Landing lights (melted lenses, battery drain, blind oncoming traffic) Stay on the centerline Runway lights are white (last 2000 ft are yellow) –taxiway lights are blue (taxi centerline lights are green) –turnoff lights are “peas and carrots” –hold short lights are flashing yellow Beware the fogged windshield Pedestrians can’t see the prop Pilot can’t see pedestrians or other obstacles

Night Operations - Enroute6 Takeoffs Remote fields: back-taxi on the runway to clear it of lovers and animals Do not takeoff without runway lights; –landing light doesn’t see far enough ahead to maintain alignment during acceleration No attitude refs on takeoff into a dark night: use airspeed, AI, Altimeter

Night Operations - Enroute7 Climb Out and Departure Use IFR Departure Procedures when available Know the terrain – Review the sectional Spatial disorientation – JFK Jr. Controlled flight into terrain Recent LRU CAP accident

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9 Types of Departure Procedure ATC (Clnc/Departure Cntl/Tower) SID or Std IFR Procedure Use the Sectional GPM Method T

Night Operations - Enroute10 Enroute Plan route via airports, over interstates, and available lighting –Avoid rough terrain and stay over lower elevations –Different landmark/checkpoint strategy for pilotage –Radio navigation often primary Fly high: –Avoiding terrain by procedure (routing & altitude) rather than visual separation –Use MEA & MOCA for terrain clearance –More glide distance Monitor engine instruments more thoughtfully Electrical more critical –Ammeter first hint of trouble –Dimming lights – weak radio reception WX - Respect low ceilings and visibilities

Night Operations - Enroute11 Descent Delay until you have positive ID of the destination Airport (rotating beacon, surrounding lighting etc) Foreground occlusion: –CLIMB if the lights in front of you suddenly disappear Modified IFR approach: –make regular callouts of airspeed and altitude AGL Use VASI, ILS if available –Fly a steeper final[?] –Avoid straight-ins: judge distance & altitude difficult if the runway size is unfamiliar

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Night Operations - Enroute14 Flight Planning SAF to Moriarty To Estancia To Albuquerque

Night Operations - Enroute15 SAF - Moriarty Initial routing looks reasonable. But: What if the turn to ‘on course’ is delayed perhaps at the towers request to clear traffic? What if the compass, DG. Or your attention to heading wanders? What if the visibility is only the ‘legal’ 5 miles?

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Night Operations - Enroute18 Using V83 thence the 200° Radial will add one minute to the flight, yet assure positive positional awareness.

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