Night Operations Flashcards

Question

How does a pilot activate a radio-controlled runway light system while airborne? (AIM 2‑1‑9) Show Answer

Answer 1

By keying the microphone on a specified frequency. 7 = max intensity 5 = medium intensity

Answer 2

a. Study all weather reports and forecasts. Particular attention should be directed towards temperature/dewpoint spreads to detect the possibility of fog formation. b. Calculate wind directions and speeds along the proposed route of flight to ensure accurate drift calculations, as night visual perception of drift is generally inaccurate. c. Obtain applicable aeronautical charts for both the proposed route as well as adjacent charts, and mark lighted checkpoints clearly. d. Review all radio navigational aids for correct frequencies and availability. e. If a GPS is being used for navigation, ensure that it is working properly before the flight. All necessary waypoints should be loaded properly before the flight and the database should be checked for accuracy prior to taking off, and then checked again once in flight. f. Check all personal equipment such as flashlights and portable transceivers for proper operation. g. The aircraft should be thoroughly preflighted. h. All aircraft position lights, as well as the landing light and rotating beacon, should be checked for proper operation. i. Ground areas should be checked for obstructions that may not be readily visible from within the cockpit.

Answer 3

a. The pilot should exercise extra caution on “clearing” the propeller arc area. The use of lights prior to and after engine startup can also alert persons in the area to the presence of the active aircraft. b. During taxiing, avoid unnecessary use of electrical equipment which would put an abnormal load on the electrical system, such as the landing light. Additionally, other pilots taxiing in the area can be blinded by your landing light or strobes, so avoid using them during taxiing. c. Taxi slowly and follow any taxi lines.

Answer 4

a. During takeoff the pilot should: * on the initial takeoff roll, use both the distant runway edge lights as well as the landing light area to keep the aircraft straight and parallel in the runway, and * upon liftoff, keep a positive climb by referencing the attitude indicator along with positive rate of climb on the vertical speed indicator. b. During climbout: * do not initiate any turns until reaching safe maneuvering altitude, and * turn the landing light off after climb.

Answer 5

a. Exercise caution to avoid flying into clouds or a layer of fog. Usually, the first indication of flying into restricted visibility conditions is the gradual disappearance of lights on the ground. If the lights begin to take on an appearance of being surrounded by a halo or glow, use caution in attempting further flight in that same direction, as this is indicative of ground fog. b. Practice and acquire competency in straight-and-level flight, climbs and descents, level turns, climbing and descending turns, and steep turns. Recovery from unusual attitudes should also be practiced, but only on dual flights with a flight instructor. c. Practice the above maneuvers with all the cockpit lights turned OFF — this type of “blackout” training will prove helpful later on, in the event of an electrical or instrument light failure. Include the use of the navigation equipment and local NAVAIDs in this exercise. d. Continually monitor position, time estimates, and fuel consumed. NAVAIDs, if available, should be used to assist in monitoring enroute progress.

Answer 6

If the engine fails at night, the same procedures apply for dealing with the situation in the daytime. Maintain positive control of the airplane — do not panic. A normal glide should be established and maintained and the airplane turned toward an airport or away from congested areas. A check should be made to determine the cause of the engine failure, such as position of the magnetos, fuel selectors, or primer. If unsuccessful in restart procedures, select 7700 on the transponder and 121.5 on your radio. Declare an emergency, stating WHO you are, WHERE you are, and WHAT your intentions are. In some cases, where radar is available (Approach Control, Center, etc.) you may obtain a quick vector to the nearest airport if within gliding distance. If you have done your homework, you planned your route of flight within gliding distance of lighted airports. If not, two possibilities exist for emergency landing areas: Lighted areas — interstate highways, roads, parking lots, etc. Advantages include being able to see where and what you are landing on, and having a relatively improved surface to land upon. Disadvantages include all kinds of obstructions to deal with, such as wires, poles, traffic, etc. Unlighted areas — dark areas with relatively few lights indicating an open area such as a field, lake, etc. Advantages include few or no obstructions to deal with. Disadvantages include not being able to see what you have selected to land on until illumination by your landing light, and the higher possibility that what you have selected is unimproved, rough terrain, etc. As nearly as possible, land into the wind, with flaps, at minimum approach speed. Complete a pre-landing checklist, and immediately before touchdown, secure all systems (electrical, fuel) and open the doors. Whatever your decision, maintain positive control of the aircraft all the way down. A controlled crash will always be more survivable than an uncontrolled crash.

Answer 7

a. identify the airport and associated airport lighting and runway lighting. b. The aircraft should be flown towards the airport beacon until the runway lights are identified. c. A powered approach should be used because visual perception during a descent at night can be difficult. d. The landing light should be switched on upon entering the airport traffic area. e. The pilot should avoid the use of excessive speed on approach and landing.

Answer 8

ICEFLAGS **Inversion**: If you pitch down too quickly from a climb to straight-and-level, you can get the illusion that you're tumbling backwards. The real danger with this that it makes you want to push the aircraft even more nose-low, which puts you into a dive attitude. Even worse, the more you push forward, the more intense the illusion can become. Slow, steady control inputs are the key when you're transitioning from a climb to straight-and-level flight. **Coriolis**: when you're in a constant turn long enough for the fluid in your ears to stop moving. At this point, if you move your head too quickly, such as looking at something in the cockpit, you can start the fluid in your ears moving in an entirely different axis. This makes you feel like the airplane is maneuvering in a way that it isn't, and if you aren't careful, you can put your plane in a dangerous attitude. Never move your head quickly, and if you feel like you're getting disoriented, focus on your instrument scan pattern and bring the airplane to straight-and-level flight. **Elevator:** when you catch an updraft, and your plane is abruptly accelerated vertically. Even though your plane is most likely in straight-and-level flight, you feel like you need to push the nose forward, entering a dive attitude. **False horizon:** when darkness or clouds makes the pilot lose the horizon and align with an incorrect horizon and position the plane in an unusual attitude. pilots need to rely less on outside references at night and more on flight and navigation instruments **Leans**: An abrupt correction of a banked attitude, which has been entered too slowly to stimulate the motion sensing system in the inner ear, can create the illusion of banking in the opposite direction. to avoid super-slow turns in the clouds. You should never over-control your plane, but make sure your are authoritative with your control inputs. **Autokenisis:** Caused by staring at a single point of light against a dark background for more than a few seconds and the light appears to move on its own. The pilot will lose control of the aircraft in attempting to align it with the light **Graveyard spiral/spin:** While in a turn the fluid in your ears stops moving. As you return to level flight, you feel like you've turned in the opposite direction, and you return back to the original turn and the airplane starts descending. You pull back on the yoke. But what really happens is you tighten the spiraling turn, and lose even more altitude. Maintain a strong scan pattern, and don't fixate on any one instrument. **Somotografic illusion:** When you accelerate quickly, your ears think you are pitching nose-up. This makes you want to push the nose of your plane forward, and you enter a nose-low dive attitude. The opposite is true of rapid deceleration. As you slow, you feel like you're pitching forward, and you tend to pitch up into a nose-high stall attitude.

Answer 9

Inversion: If you pitch down too quickly from a climb to straight-and-level, you can get the illusion that you're tumbling backwards. The danger with this that it makes you want to push the aircraft even more nose-low, which puts you into a dive attitude. Even worse, the more you push forward, the more intense the illusion can become. Slow, steady control inputs are the key when you're transitioning from a climb to straight-and-level flight.

Answer 10

Coriolis: when you're in a constant turn long enough for the fluid in your ears to stop moving. At this point, if you move your head too quickly, such as looking at something in the cockpit, you can start the fluid in your ears moving in an entirely different axis. This makes you feel like the airplane is maneuvering in a way that it isn't, and if you aren't careful, you can put your plane in a dangerous attitude. Never move your head quickly, and if you feel like you're getting disoriented, focus on your instrument scan pattern and bring the airplane to straight-and-level flight.

Answer 11

Elevator: when you catch an updraft, and your plane is abruptly accelerated vertically. Even though your plane is most likely in straight-and-level flight, you feel like you need to push the nose forward, entering a dive attitude. Maintain a strong instrument scan pattern in turbulence, and if the updrafts and downdrafts become so strong that you are unable to maintain altitude, fly the attitude indicator, keeping your wings straight and level.

Answer 12

False horizon: when darkness or clouds makes the pilot lose the horizon and align with an incorrect horizon and position the plane in an unusual attitude. pilots need to rely less on outside references at night and more on flight and navigation instruments

Answer 13

Leans: An abrupt correction of a banked attitude, which has been entered too slowly to stimulate the motion sensing system in the inner ear, can create the illusion of banking in the opposite direction. to avoid super-slow turns in the clouds. You should never over-control your plane, but make sure your are authoritative with your control inputs.

Answer 14

Autokenisis: Caused by staring at a single point of light against a dark background for more than a few seconds and the light appears to move on its own. The pilot will lose control of the aircraft in attempting to align it with the light

Answer 15

Graveyard spiral/spin: While in a turn the fluid in your ears stops moving. As you return to level flight, you feel like you've turned in the opposite direction, and you return back to the original turn and the airplane starts descending. You pull back on the yoke. But what really happens is you tighten the spiraling turn, and lose even more altitude. Maintain a strong scan pattern, and don't fixate on any one instrument.

Answer 16

Somotografic illusion: When you accelerate quickly, your ears think you are pitching nose-up. This makes you want to push the nose of your plane forward, and you enter a nose-low dive attitude. The opposite is true of rapid deceleration. As you slow, you feel like you're pitching forward, and you tend to pitch up into a nose-high stall attitude.