Night Flying and the JAR Night Qualification

Night Flying

Night Flying and the JAR Night Qualification

Night Flying

SCOPE

• What is night?

• The JAR Night Qualification

• Night Vision

• Aircraft and Aerodrome Lighting

• Night Flying

• Night Navigation

Night Flying

MORE INFORMATION

• Trevor Thom

• Air Pilots Manual Volume 5

Night Flying

WHAT IS NIGHT?

• 30 minutes after sunset to 30 minutes before sunrise• Times in AIP Gen 2.7 on www.ais.org.uk and Flight

Guides

Night Flying

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

Night Flying

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!!!

Night Flying

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.

Night Flying

Night Flying

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.

Night Flying

AIRCRAFT LIGHTING

Left wing RED Right wing Green Tail white Anti-collision Landing light

Night Flying

Air Navigation Order Equipment requirements –

External LightsDevices for signalling if non-radioInterior LightingElectric torch for each crew memberLanding Light

Night Flying

.

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.

TAXIWAY LIGHTING

Night Flying

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

Night Flying

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

Night Flying

Threshold lights are green. Runway edge lights

are white. Last 2,000 feet are yellow. Runway end lights

are RED!!!!

RUNWAY LIGHTING

Night Flying

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

Night Flying

PAPIs

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

Night Flying

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.

Night Flying

NIGHT FLYING

• Pre-Flight

Night Flying

NIGHT FLYING• Pre-Flight

• Weather – especially: cloud base, temp/dewpoint, wind

• Torch x 2 – red filter, batteries• Diversions

Night Flying

NIGHT FLYING

• External Checks

Night Flying

NIGHT FLYING

• External Checks

• Check for obstacles, all lights working

• Use torch for external checks

• Cockpit management crucial!

• Takes time!

Night Flying

NIGHT FLYING

• Start-Up

Night Flying

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

Night Flying

NIGHT FLYING

• Taxiing

Night Flying

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!!

Night Flying

NIGHT FLYING

• Take Off

Night Flying

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)

Night Flying

NIGHT FLYING

• Night Circuit

Night Flying

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

Night Flying

NIGHT FLYING

• Night Approach and Landing

Night Flying

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

Night Flying

NIGHT FLYING

• Emergencies

• EFATO

• Electrical Failure

• Radio Failure

Night Flying

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

Night Flying

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)

Night Flying

Night Flying

Night Flying

Night Flying

Night Flying

Any Questions?

Let’s get night qualified!