LESSON: Night Operations

LESSON: Night operations

OBJECTIVE:

To develop the students understanding of the elements of night operations

ELEMENTS:

Elements of the use of night operations

 Factors related to night vision

 Disorientation and night optical illusions

 Importance of assuring that windshield and windows are clean

 Proper adjustment of interior lights

 Importance of having a flashlight with a red lens

 Night preflight inspection

 Engine starting procedures, including use of position and anti-collision lights prior to start

 Taxiing and orientation on an airport

 Takeoff and climb-out

 In-flight orientation

 Importance of verifying the airplane's attitude by reference to flight instruments

 Recovery from critical flight attitudes

 Emergencies such as electrical failure, engine malfunction, and emergency landings

 Traffic patterns

 Approaches and landings with and without landing lights

 Go-arounds

SCHEDULE:  10 Minutes

EQUIPMENT:

 Appropriate textbooks  Chalkboard & chalk  Model aircraft  Appropriate slides/Visual Aids

INSTRUCTORS ACTIONS:

 Discuss lesson objective

 Introduce the concept of night operations

 Discuss elements of night operations  Ask pertinent questions to determine students understanding  Assign appropriate study material

STUDENTS ACTIONS:

 Listen, take notes, ask questions  Respond to instructors questions  Leave with a framework understanding of the subject

COMPLETEION STANDARDS:

The student should demonstrate adequate understanding of night operations by:

Successfully completing an oral quiz or written exam

Introduction

Attention/Motivation

Flying at night is better in many ways than during the day, lower winds, better airplane performance, less air traffic. However, there are some additional factors that must be taken into account when operating at night

Overview

This lesson will discuss elements of the elements of night operations

DEVELOPMENT

Factors related to night vision Night Vision Physiology

 Eyes must be used differently at night than during the day, to see effectively  Two types of light sensitive nerves that make vision possible, Rods and Cones  Cones are located in the center of the retina and the rods are located in a ring around the cones  Rods are much more sensitive to light  Since they are located in a ring not directly inline with the pupil’s off center viewing is best for detecting objects at night

Night Adaptation

 The eyes also need time to adjust to darkness… "night adaptation"  It takes about 30 minutes for the rods to become fully adjusted to the darkness  After a pilot’s eyes adjust to darkness avoid bright white light

Environmental factors affecting night vision

 Lower O2 density at higher altitudes can cause loss of color vision at night  Use supplemental O2 at altitudes above 5000 feet  Certain drugs can also affect night vision "Viagra"

Disorientation and night optical illusions

 IMC may be hard or impossible to avoid  Lights from other air traffic blend in with ground lights

 Flicker of strobe lights may cause vertigo

 Darkness makes it difficult to judge distances

 Sparsely populated areas make it difficult to find the horizon

 "Black hole illusion" is caused by an approach into an otherwise sparsely lit area – Rely on indications from a VASI and or altimeter  Autokinesis: lights appear to move when stared at – "Don’t fixate"

Importance of assuring that windshield and windows are clean

Proper adjustment of interior lights

 To preserve night adaptation keep cockpit and instrument lights to a minimum  Use only dim white light  Preferably red light

 Flashlights can get bright, flashlight with a red lens is ideal  However, red light may make red items on charts difficult to see

Night preflight inspection

 Minimum equipment for night flight:

a. All required VFR day equipment b. Approved position lights c. Aviation red or white anti-collision light d. Electric landing light if operated for hire e. Adequate source of electrical power f. One set of spare fuses, or three spare fuses of each kind required

 Electrical system  Lights: Nav/Anti Collision

a. Red on left b. Green on the right c. White in back

 Cockpit lighting/controls/layout  Gyros: plan for the possibility of IMC  Nav/Comm equipment  Fuel: Night reserves (45 Minutes)  Flashlights: Big one for preflight, little one for in the cockpit  Flight plan: Route - use naiads, altitude – know MEF’s along your route  Weather: harder to see at night

a. Pay special attention to temp dew/point spread

Engine starting procedures, including use of position and anti-collision lights prior to start

 Ensure area is clear prior too engine start, hazards/obstructions may be difficult to see

 Put position lights and anti-collision beacon on prior to engine start  Strobes should be kept off until taking the active runway, landing light used only as necessary - don’t blind other pilots

Taxiing and orientation on an airport

 Finding your way around even a familiar airport at night can be difficult  Have an airport diagram available  If available ask ground control for help Takeoff and climb-out

 Takeoff is fundamentally the same as during the day, however you must place greater emphasis on the flight instruments  There will be a lack of easily identifiable visual references  Use runway edge lights to help maintain centerline  During climb-out make pitch adjustments with the attitude indicator climb at a constant airspeed  Turn off landing light

In-flight orientation

 IMC conditions may be difficult to spot at night  A VFR only pilot should not attempt flight into MVFR conditions at night  More emphasis must be placed on the flight instruments  Same procedures of flight by reference to instruments apply  Utilize well lit check points (Airports, freeways) and especially navigational aids

 Avoid flights over water and mountainous terrain

Emergencies such as electrical failure, engine malfunction, and emergency landings

 Use the same procedures for dealing with an emergency at night as during the day  Have a flashlight handy for trouble shooting  It is important to have good situational awareness at night  Have a chart available at all times to check terrain below  Keep best glide until close to the ground then set up for MCA  Touch down at the slowest possible airspeed and in a nose high attitude

Traffic patterns

 Get ATIS/Contact Unicom approximately 10 miles out

 Identify the airport as far out as possible

 Check notams for lighting outages

 Runway lights may be difficult to see

 Look for airport beacon

a. Lighted civilian land airports: Alternating green and white b. Lighted military airports: Alternating green and double white  As you descend check for obstructions

a. Red beacons indicate obstructions hazardous to aerial navigation b. Flashing white lights indicate towers, chimneys, power line supporting structures c. Steady red lights mark obstructions near airports

 Avoid long straight in approaches. Use standard 45 entry at pattern altitude  It will be difficult to accurately judge distance, place more emphasis on instruments  Use the same airspeeds and procedures as during the day

Approaches and landings with and without landing lights

 On final avoid getting low  Utilize VASI  Align between the rows of white runway edge lights  Runway threshold is marked by a row of green lights  Runway end is marked by a row of red lights  Ensure a stabilized descent

 Transition from the approach to the round-out and touchdown is the same as during the day  However, it is more difficult to judge speed, height and sink rate  Initial tendency may be to round out too high

 With the landing light on initiate the round-out when the runway surface/tire marks are visible

 The round-out should be smooth and gradual, slowly reducing power to idle as the airplane is touching down

 Don’t look directly at the spot where the landing light is shining, look down the runway using the runway edge lights

 For landings without the landing light, rely exclusively on the runway edge lights and end lights to judge height and sink rates

 Best to let the airplane float with a slightly higher airspeed to ensure a very gradual sink rate

CONCLUSION

 Give your eyes time to adapt to darkness  Use off center viewing  Do a thorough preflight to include lights and electrical system  Place greater emphasis on flight instruments at night  Use the runway edge lights and end lights to judge height and sink rates