Night Rating

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flyndad
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Night Rating

Post by flyndad »

Thoughts and suggestions welcomed from the Instructor community for training students for the Night rating.
Some begin in the Circuit and what has worked quite well for me is a local flight to begin with to get the student
accustomed to Night time flying before returning to the Circuit.
Any ideas in what works well for you would be appreciated.
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Skymark
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Re: Night Rating

Post by Skymark »

Suggestion, for first flight start during late twilight, so the student can still see the familiar sights of taxi ways and runways but the lights are on. Local flight in the darkness is good to show what basic navigating at night is like around areas they are already familiar with - it's familiar to unfamiliar teaching. Depending on your location (in a lit area or not) prepare the student for the black hole when the pitch up on takeoff and all the lights disappear. I do first flight like an "intro" flight, then second flight is circuits.
Love flying an teaching at night.
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rookiepilot
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Re: Night Rating

Post by rookiepilot »

Taking off Goderich straight over the water on an overcast night was memorable during my night rating. That effect has to be experienced to be fully understood by the student. I loved doing the night rating.

Navigation, identifying towns and cities visually, distances, is surprisingly difficult at first. Hamlets all look like toronto.
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Skymark
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Re: Night Rating

Post by Skymark »

Taking off Goderich straight over the water on an overcast night was memorable during my night rating.
Yes it is. Flying the approach over the black water is also a great experience, We go to Goderich for this reason for the night cross country.
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Squaretail
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Re: Night Rating

Post by Squaretail »

I always start with the circuit. Probably the most important part to hammer home about night flying is how the take off is the most dangerous portion. Make sure to demonstrate the first circuit, to that regard I don't start with the easier twilight flight, I want it dark. Beat them over the head with the idea that after they rotate, they're instrument flying for the first two hundred feet, and make sure the airplane is going up. If they learn nothing else about night flying its this bit they must know. I have had way too many "experienced" night flyers try to fly an airplane into the weeds off the end of a runway because someone didn't emphasize the importance of this off the start. off the start.

I would also consider topping up the student's instrument practice as well before starting. You don't want to find out on a cross country in the dark that the student sucks at instrument flying.
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jamesel
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Re: Night Rating

Post by jamesel »

All good stuff. Strong ++ to the period after the runway slides away under the nose until you have a discernable horizon as being the most dangerous part of a night flight. Which is why a strong base in IF is so important before solo, especially in the circuit.

Front load any required IF flying so as to finish at least no later than starting the Cross-Countries.

I like doing the IF at night - with no peripheral vision or sun/shadows, it's much more realistic. As a bonus, it's always fun to have them pull the hood off "to take a break for a bit" whilst pointing at a non-extant horizon (big lakes/mountains). Of course, you can't double count the IF under the hood as "Night" time towards the rating minimums, but the taxi/take-off/landing is good.

If possible, I book the flying for moonless nights or portions thereof. There's a world of difference between a full moon over a snow covered or suburban landscape & an overcast night over the bush country.

My preference is to use as diverse of size of airports as possible. If you're based at a medium sized airport try to get to a 7,000'+ runway, and to a 2500' one. Slopes, displaced thresholds & humps in the runway are all great bonuses.

Having the ability to easily navigate using the installed radios is a given. On cross-countries (day or night) I try to run 3 legs - 1st with lots of landmarks, 2nd with fewer, & 3rd with the least features. Showing the varying availablity of reference points at various altiudes is just as relevant as in the day.
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broken_slinky
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Re: Night Rating

Post by broken_slinky »

Skymark wrote: Sat Nov 26, 2022 6:37 pm
Taking off Goderich straight over the water on an overcast night was memorable during my night rating.
Yes it is. Flying the approach over the black water is also a great experience, We go to Goderich for this reason for the night cross country.
Definitely recommend a night landing/take-off like that but the student needs to be 100% on the ball. So easy to get yourself into trouble, even with an instructor on board. If the student or instructor is even remotely tired or distracted, it can turn bad quickly. Not so bad this time of year when it gets dark so early. Brampton lost an instructor and student not too long ago there doing that exact training. Highly recommend the twilight transition for the first couple flights as Skymark suggested.
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digits_
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Re: Night Rating

Post by digits_ »

I wouldn't do twilight stuff more than once. The amount of hours required for the night rating is already quite small. No need to fill it with twilight flying.

Which is a good reason to not do your night rating in July... Seems obvious, but it happens way too often. Makes it harder for all parties involved.
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photofly
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Re: Night Rating

Post by photofly »

It's worth doing at least one day-to-night transition while airborne: even if a pilot doesn't choose to fly at night a lot, a late VFR flight can find itself arriving after dark even if not planned. So being ready to activate the night flying mindset when already airborne is necessary.
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rookiepilot
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Re: Night Rating

Post by rookiepilot »

broken_slinky wrote: Mon Nov 28, 2022 6:46 am
Skymark wrote: Sat Nov 26, 2022 6:37 pm
Taking off Goderich straight over the water on an overcast night was memorable during my night rating.
Yes it is. Flying the approach over the black water is also a great experience, We go to Goderich for this reason for the night cross country.
Definitely recommend a night landing/take-off like that but the student needs to be 100% on the ball. So easy to get yourself into trouble, even with an instructor on board. If the student or instructor is even remotely tired or distracted, it can turn bad quickly. Not so bad this time of year when it gets dark so early. Brampton lost an instructor and student not too long ago there doing that exact training. Highly recommend the twilight transition for the first couple flights as Skymark suggested.
One thing I learned early, (especially) when surprised by a change in the flight regime, a light touch on the controls. Trim is your friend. A properly trimmed airplane, will keep flying nice and stable for a little while without much "help". Important on a black hole takeoff -- trim for the climb!
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