1. Night Operations - Enroute1 Night Operations This presentation was prepared by the New Mexico Wing, Civil Air Patrol

2. Night Operations - Enroute2 Content Preparation and Flight Planning Equipment Airport Facilities Directory Preflight Airplane Inspection Taxiing Airport Lighting Takeoffs Climb Out and Departure Enroute Descent Landings Emergencies Night Training Mission

3. Night Operations - Enroute3 Preparation and Flight Planning Risk reduction: consider two-pilot crew Familiarity with aircraft, systems, performance. Blindfold cockpit check; can pull the wrong control/miss right control in the dark.

4. Night Operations - Enroute4 Equipment Flashlight –spare batteries and bulbs –spare flashlight Clear glasses (transition from sunglasses at dusk) –spare glasses Portable GPS Handheld radio Keep all items within easy reach!

5. Night Operations - Enroute5 Airport Facilities Directory A/FD For Destination AND Departure Airport Lighting (runway, PCL,etc) Check NOTAMS for inop lighting systems Obstacles Tower/FBO hours Call ahead for local info

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9. 9 Preflight Airplane Inspection Perform in Daylight if possible Setup/test cockpit lighting: –know location of light switches Test ammeter (loadmeters vs ammeters) Test nav, taxi, and landing lights

10. Night Operations - Enroute10 Check your CG!

11. Night Operations - Enroute11 Taxiing IFR instrument check Strobes off Landing lights off –melted lenses –battery drain –blind oncoming traffic) Stay on the centerline Beware the fogged windshield Pedestrians can’t see the prop Pilot can’t see pedestrians or other obstacles

12. Night Operations - Enroute12 Watch you taxi speed and keep you attention outside the A/C when it is in motion

13. Night Operations - Enroute13 Airport Lighting Runway –White (last 2000 ft are yellow) –REIL –Threshold (Red/Green) Taxiway lights are blue –taxi centerline lights are green) –turnoff lights are “peas and carrots” –hold short lights are flashing yellow Beacon (Green/white green/white/white) –Daylight operation indicates airport is IFR

14. Night Operations - Enroute14 Takeoffs Remote fields –back-taxi on runway –clear lovers and animals Do not takeoff without runway lights; –landing light doesn’t see far enough ahead to maintain alignment during acceleration No attitude ref on takeoff: –use airspeed, AI, Altimeter

15. Night Operations - Enroute15 Verify that all passengers are properly seated and secure

16. Night Operations - Enroute16 Climb Out and Departure Use IFR Departure Procedures when available Transition to ‘Instruments’ –Use the AI –Standard rate turns; minimizes chances for vertigo Know the terrain – Review the sectional Controlled flight into terrain Recent LRU CAP accident

17. Night Operations - Enroute17 Types of Departure Procedure ATC (Clnc/Departure Cntl/Tower) SID or Std IFR Procedure Use the Sectional GPM Method T

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19. Night Operations - Enroute19 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 –Altimeter Setting –More glide distance IFR techniques and competencies are useful –Use MEA & MOCA for terrain clearance Monitor engine instruments more thoughtfully Electrical more critical –Ammeter first hint of trouble –Dimming lights – weak radio reception WX - Respect low ceilings and visibilities

20. Night Operations - Enroute20 SAF to 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?

21. Night Operations - Enroute21 Using V83 thence the 200° Radial will add one minute to the flight, yet assure positive positional awareness.

22. Night Operations - Enroute22 Descent Delay until positive ID of destination Airport –rotating beacon –surrounding lighting etc) Foreground occlusion: –CLIMB if the lights in front of you suddenly disappear Modified IFR approach: –make regular cockpit callouts of airspeed and altitude AGL

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25. Night Operations - Enroute25 Landings (1/2) Determine wind direction –ATIS –illuminated windsocks –GPS Drag runway to clear and check the wind Use VASI, ILS if available Once on final only full go-around only maneuver Avoid straight-ins –judging distance & altitude difficult if runway unfamiliar

26. Night Operations - Enroute26 Landings (2/2) Fly a slightly higher final –Cross runway threshold at indicated 100 ft AGL –allows safety margin for altimeter changes –avoids black hole errors Use soft-field technique, especially if landing light is inop –Start flare when runway shows in landing light –Final and flare are typically too low –Feel for the runway Beware landing at the wrong, nearby airport Judgment - divert if conditions unsafe!

27. Night Operations - Enroute27 Ahhh, a little higher final…

28. Night Operations - Enroute28 Obstructions on the runway that can’t be seen at night can ruin your whole day

29. Night Operations - Enroute29 Emergencies Loss of electrical –No A/C lights Can’t see instruments –use a dimmed flashlight Landing light inop –Practice landings without landing lights Others can’t see you –Can’t activate Pilot Controlled Lighting –Use soft-field landing technique Beware of runway length

30. Night Operations - Enroute30 Loss of Engine Head for dark –fewer man-made obstructions Head for light –help closer at hand –can see what to try to avoid Trim nose up, full flaps, into the wind, fly to contact Practice at altitude, during daylight

31. Night Operations - Enroute31 Not all dark areas are suitable!

32. Night Operations - Enroute32 Night Weather VFR into IMC –Can’t see clouds during dark night –Spatial disorientation – JFK Jr. –Clues to low-level haze: ground lights get indistinct, have a halo –Same clues for stars if cloudy –Temp-dew point spread diminishes as temps drop: fog

33. Night Operations - Enroute33 Inoperative Runway Lights Possible reasons –Pilot controlled lighting? –You’re not where you think you are? No target, go somewhere else

34. Night Operations - Enroute34 Reflector Runway Lighting Pilot-activated strobes help locate runway Reflective panels not visible until 1-1.5 miles on final Failure to reflect effectively… –Wing-mounted landing lights (off center) –X-wind crab –Mis-alignment with runway Use flaps for better landing light illumination

35. Night Operations - Enroute35 Night Flight Training Mission (1/4) (Perform on a DARK Night) PREFLIGHT –Discussion/briefing of flight profile –Review Notams, A/F D for departure and destination info –Query for Terrain awareness: departure and destination airports, enroute –Observe Preflight inspection –Verify Equipment inspection –Challenge Cockpit organization –Perform Blindfold cockpit test

36. Night Operations - Enroute36 Night Flight Training Mission (2/4) TAXI –Highlight IFR instrument taxi tests, –Verify Ammeter check –Discuss Airport lighting during taxi Departure Airport –Observe Take-off and transition to black conditions –Perform initial Landing(s) at well-lit airport –Note availability of VASI, PAPI, ILS as appropriate

37. Night Operations - Enroute37 Night Flight Training Mission (3/4) EN ROUTE –Turn-off inside lighting Note lack of visual queues –Verify Instrument scan Navigation ability Situational Awareness Terrain awareness –Demonstrate Off-center outside scan Illusions: bank = climb; nose up = high; stars = lights; false horizons

38. Night Operations - Enroute38 Night Flight Training Mission (4/4) Destination Airport –Locate Destination airport –Identify traffic pattern entry –Demonstrate Pilot controlled lighting –Verify Altitude and airspeed awareness –Perform All turns at standard rate –Execute Landings at black-hole airport Emergency landings with no landing or cockpit lights Use of flashlight to illuminate instruments –Verify Judgment to abort or divert if conditions not suitable

39. Night Operations - Enroute39 Additional Information Slides that follow illustrate the wealth of information available online.

40. Night Operations - Enroute40 http://www.airnav.com/airport/KSAF

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46. Night Operations - Enroute46 Be Safe out there in the Dark