1. Night Flying and the JAR Night Qualification

2. SCOPE What is night? The JAR Night Qualification Night Vision
Aircraft and Aerodrome Lighting
Night Flying
Night Navigation

3. MORE INFORMATION
Trevor Thom
Air Pilots Manual Volume 5

4. WHAT IS NIGHT? 30 minutes after sunset to 30 minutes before sunrise
Times in AIP Gen 2.7 on and Flight Guides

5. JAR NIGHT QUALIFICATION
Entitles PPL holder to act as PIC at Night
Passengers can be carried if during previous 90 days at least one take-off and landing has been completed at night (assuming the 3 t/o and ldg in 90 days for passenger carrying normally is current!)
Unless you hold a valid IR (not IMC!)
No retest or renewal criteria

6. JAR NIGHT QUALIFICATION
5 hours overall night training to include:
3 hour dual night training
Including 1 hour dual night navigation
5 take off and full stop landings at night as PIC of aeroplanes
NO TEST!!!

7. Eye requires about 30 minutes to adapt to dark.
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.
The retina contains two types of photoreceptors, rods and cones. The rods are more numerous, some 120 million, and are more sensitive than the cones. However, they are not sensitive to color. The 6 to 7 million cones provide the eye's color sensitivity and they are much more concentrated in the central yellow spot known as the macula. In the center of that region is the " fovea centralis ", a 0.3 mm diameter rod-free area with very thin, densely packed cones.

9. 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.

10. AIRCRAFT LIGHTING Left wing RED Right wing Green Tail white
Anti-collision
Landing light

11. Air Navigation Order Equipment requirements –
External Lights
Devices for signalling if non-radio
Interior Lighting
Electric torch for each crew member
Landing Light

12. .
TAXIWAY LIGHTING
Taxiway edge lights = blue and are used to outline the edges of the taxiways at night or in reduced visibility conditions.
Centreline = green
Taxiway turn off lights are steady green and define the curved path from the centerline to the taxiway.

13. Runway guard lights (wag lights) are steady yellow lights used to make the holding position more visible.

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

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

16. RUNWAY LIGHTING Threshold lights are green.
Runway edge lights are white.
Last 2,000 feet are yellow.
Runway end lights are RED!!!!

17. Lead in lights do not mark usable landing area – often outside airfield boundary

18. PAPIs
PAPI lights are typically visible 5 miles from the airport during the day and 20 miles at night.

19. VASIs
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.

20. NIGHT FLYING
Pre-Flight

21. NIGHT FLYING Pre-Flight
Weather – especially: cloud base, temp/dewpoint, wind
Torch x 2 – red filter, batteries
Diversions

22. NIGHT FLYING
External Checks

23. NIGHT FLYING External Checks Check for obstacles, all lights working
Use torch for external checks
Cockpit management crucial!
Takes time!

24. NIGHT FLYING
Start-Up

25. NIGHT FLYING
Start-Up
Park brake on (movement difficult to detect at night)
Anti-coll / Nav lights on to warn
Check alternator / ammeter
Adjust cockpit lighting to suitable levels

26. NIGHT FLYING
Taxiing

27. NIGHT FLYING Taxiing Distance / speed perception is poor!
Take your time and check route carefully
Instrument checks
Don’t blind other airfield users
If in doubt – STOP!!

28. NIGHT FLYING
Take Off

29. NIGHT FLYING Take Off The aircraft flys the same! Check on centre line
Use runway edge lights to keep straight
On rotation transfer to instruments
When regain visual references transfer back (usually 3-400ft)

30. NIGHT FLYING
Night Circuit

31. NIGHT FLYING Night Circuit Beware tendency to over-bank
Use reference to runway lights and well lit ground features to position in the circuit
Wind variation usually greater at night

32. NIGHT FLYING
Night Approach and Landing

33. NIGHT FLYING Night Approach and Landing
Use approach aids (PAPIs at Lyneham)
Use runway lights to judge round-out
DO NOT STARE AT LANDING LIGHT!
Progressive round-out and power reduction

34. NIGHT FLYING
Emergencies
EFATO
Electrical Failure
Radio Failure

35. NIGHT FLYING Night Approach and Landing
Use approach aids (PAPIs at Lyneham)
Use runway lights to judge round-out
DO NOT STARE AT LANDING LIGHT!
Progressive round-out and power reduction

36. NIGHT NAVIGATION Ground Features- light patterns of towns
Distance deceptive
Radio Nav important
Forced landing?
No Night VFR – must fly IFR
Quadrantal Cruising Level above 3000’ AMSL
Safety Alt (1000’ above nearest obstacle within 5nm of track)

41. Let’s get night qualified!
Any Questions?
Let’s get night qualified!