On adjusting the runway lights...make sure that no one is on final when you click the runway lights on high. I was on short final on a night flight when a inbound aircraft was 5 miles out clicked the lights on high blinding me on short final.
The Canadian rules are a bit different, so I really have to try and not confuse myself! Lol. In Canada, night is part of a Commercial license or can be added as a rating to the PPL. Thus the rules are more relaxed. 5 t/o and landings in 6 months to cary passengers, and there's no "1 hour" before / after.
On my first night flight to a towered airport I was cleared to land, and on final I saw some flashing lights at the end of the runway and started thinking "that doesn't quite look like REILs/threshold lights...." Then just as I'm asking the CFI for a second opinion, the tower pipes up "345 go around immediately!" Yeah, they were wingtip strobes, runway incursion. Not too close as I was still 100ft above the runway at my lowest point. Still I don't recall seeing any red beacon; white, red, or green position lights; and the wingspan was wide enough the strobes were able to be confused with REILs from a distance as it was good VFR and the actual REILs were not turned on. (My homebase airport had a fairly narrow runway so I was accustomed to closely spaced REILs. As I got closer the strobes were less like REILs.)
I think its funny(in a bumbling bureaucratic sort of way) the FARs call for position lights between sunset and sunrise except in Alaska it's between civil twilights (-6deg). Civil Twilight is approximately: (time of year only makes about 5 minutes difference at less than 50deg latitude) In the tropics 22-25 minutes after sunset(and before sunrise), 35deg latitude(LosAngeles) its 30 minutes, 47deg Lat (Tacoma) its 40 minutes. Juneau, Alaska(58deg Lat) civil twilight gets up to 60minutes and with more variation from June to December; Anchorage (61deg) has about 60 minute civil twilight most of the year, but from May through July civil twilight is greatly extended(non linearly) into several hours.
Another important time period to know: even though you can log night time beginning at civil twilight, landings for night currency must take place a full hour after sunset.
I know exactly what he means by flicker vertigo. Some blue or green colors on Google maps on my phone look "weird" and feel like they could give me a headache 8f I stared at it. I think its the way my phone handles a block of light of a certain bluish or greenish wavelength.
I've learned more about night flying on TH-cam than I did with a flight instructor. Nothing more infuriating than having an instructor just sit there and text his friends while 'supervising' the flight. Grrr. "you're doing fine" they say. Yeah no kidding! The pitfalls of being a prepared student.
Most underrated videos for ifr training on TH-cam! Hope you guys are going to come back with these live shows.
You have tons of experience but you can still relate to those of us who have much less. Thanks !
Thanks Barrie!
Doing my commercial right now. These videos are great for keeping me sharp while I’m pulling night shifts! Thanks again.
On adjusting the runway lights...make sure that no one is on final when you click the runway lights on high. I was on short final on a night flight when a inbound aircraft was 5 miles out clicked the lights on high blinding me on short final.
You're exactly right.
These guys always have tons of great info! I'm always "😮"...but never take the time to thank them! Thank you!!!
Thanks for the video presentation. Excellent to watch as I prepare to step on my first night flight with my CFI in 2 hours.
The Canadian rules are a bit different, so I really have to try and not confuse myself! Lol. In Canada, night is part of a Commercial license or can be added as a rating to the PPL. Thus the rules are more relaxed. 5 t/o and landings in 6 months to cary passengers, and there's no "1 hour" before / after.
Strobe lights - depending on the aircraft. Diamond planes do not have rotating beacons so strobes, at least where I fly, are required.
You guys are the best! Thank you for all that you do!
On my first night flight to a towered airport I was cleared to land, and on final I saw some flashing lights at the end of the runway and started thinking "that doesn't quite look like REILs/threshold lights...." Then just as I'm asking the CFI for a second opinion, the tower pipes up "345 go around immediately!"
Yeah, they were wingtip strobes, runway incursion. Not too close as I was still 100ft above the runway at my lowest point. Still I don't recall seeing any red beacon; white, red, or green position lights; and the wingspan was wide enough the strobes were able to be confused with REILs from a distance as it was good VFR and the actual REILs were not turned on. (My homebase airport had a fairly narrow runway so I was accustomed to closely spaced REILs. As I got closer the strobes were less like REILs.)
I think its funny(in a bumbling bureaucratic sort of way) the FARs call for position lights between sunset and sunrise except in Alaska it's between civil twilights (-6deg).
Civil Twilight is approximately: (time of year only makes about 5 minutes difference at less than 50deg latitude)
In the tropics 22-25 minutes after sunset(and before sunrise),
35deg latitude(LosAngeles) its 30 minutes,
47deg Lat (Tacoma) its 40 minutes.
Juneau, Alaska(58deg Lat) civil twilight gets up to 60minutes and with more variation from June to December;
Anchorage (61deg) has about 60 minute civil twilight most of the year, but from May through July civil twilight is greatly extended(non linearly) into several hours.
As always great session. You are a very good presenter.
Thanks Jim!
@29:42 “here’s your poop...pupil” 😂😂
Thank you for your wonderful program.
Another important time period to know: even though you can log night time beginning at civil twilight, landings for night currency must take place a full hour after sunset.
I know exactly what he means by flicker vertigo. Some blue or green colors on Google maps on my phone look "weird" and feel like they could give me a headache 8f I stared at it. I think its the way my phone handles a block of light of a certain bluish or greenish wavelength.
Getting Canadian night rating fixed wing starting this weekend and helicopter end of April
Thanks!
Thanks for watching!
Thanks guys, terrific presentation. Boldmethod is the clear winner for “Best aviation instruction on TH-cam.”
I've learned more about night flying on TH-cam than I did with a flight instructor. Nothing more infuriating than having an instructor just sit there and text his friends while 'supervising' the flight. Grrr. "you're doing fine" they say. Yeah no kidding! The pitfalls of being a prepared student.
Glad we could help, and thanks for watching!
Excellent information, though I was hoping for night emergency procedures to be covered, i.e., how to best choose where to set down.
Excellent video, just like all your other ones. What is the software you use to overlay g1000-like gauges in your videos? Thx.
I feel smarter after watching these videos. I just hope it's actually true.