PPL Oral - Night Operations

Question 1

Does the AFM for your aircraft say anything in regards to night flying?

Answer 1

Yes

1. Recommends the Strobe light be turned off during night flight in clouds, haze, or fog.
2. Can not operate the aircraft with a dead Main Battery even if you start the engine with external power.

DA 40 NG

Question 2

What are Rods and Cones?

Answer 2

Light sensitive cells located in the Retina that lines the inner portion of the eye.

Cones - Daylight vision, See lots
of detail and color.
- Central Fovea is almost
all cones making detail in
the center of our vision
the best

Rods - Night and Peripheral
vision
- Only detect relative
motion and shades of
grey
- Lack of Rods in central
Fovea create a Night Blind
Spot

Question 3

How long on average does it take for Night Vision to take effect?

Answer 3

Rods will need 20-30 mins to fully adapt.

Cones adapt much quicker but are less useful at night

Question 4

What should you do to make sure your vision at night is good and will last?

Answer 4

1. Allow enough time for night adaptation before a night flight
2. Avoid bright lights that may cause temporary blindness

Question 5

What can you do to maintain good vision?

Answer 5

Maintain a healthy diet and exercise

Things like fatigue, colds, poor diet, alcohol, simulants, smoking , or medication can impair vision.

Question 6

What are some visual illusions related to lighting conditions?

Answer 6

Autokinesis - Staring at a light for more than 10s can make it seem like its moving

Black Hole Approach - Lack of visual cues like lights near a RWY can make you seem like you are high on approach, making you want to get lower when you shouldn’t

Bright/Dim - Bright RWY lights make it seem like you are closer or lower than you really are. Dim RWY lights can make it seem like you are farther or higher than you really are.

Confusion - Its possible to confuse road lighting as a RWY. Or be confuse the approach lights for the RWY lights

Question 7

During take off at night, you get a feeling that you seem to be at an unusually high pitch attitude. What is happening?

Answer 7

• Somatogravic Illusion

Check your instruments, you may be experiencing a visual illusion.

This is when a sudden increase in acceleration creates the illusion that you are climbing

Question 8

What illusion should you look out for when approaching a RWY surrounded by dark, featureless terrain?

Answer 8

Black Hole illusion
AND/OR
Featureless Terrain Illusion

Both of these can create the illusion that you are higher than you actually are. Making you want to fly a lower approach.

Question 9

How can you improve the effectiveness of your night vision?

Answer 9

1. Allow 30 mins for your eyes to adapt.
2. Use oxygen
3. Avoid bright lights
4. Close one eye when you have to turn lights on
5. Use off center vision
6. Healthy diet and exercise

Question 10

What items does a pilot who is prepared for a night flight have?

Answer 10

1. Flashlight
2. Red light
3. Spare batteries
4. Updated Aeronautical Charts (including adjacent ones if necessary)
5. Everything is within reach

Question 11

What are Position Lights?

Also known as Navigation Lights

Answer 11

1. Lights on the aircraft that serve the purpose of determining its orientation at night.

Left = Red light
Right = Green light
Tail = White light

2. You can determine which way an aircraft is headed at night using the position lights.
3. Position lights are required to be on from Sunset to Sunrise

Question 12

When are position lights required to be on?

Answer 12

FAR 91.209

From Sunset to Sunrise

Question 13

When an aircraft is operated at night or near night, what is required?

Answer 13

FAR 91.209

Cannot Park/Move an aircraft at night unless..
1. Aircraft is clearly illuminated
2. Has Position Lights
3. Are in an area that is marked by obstruction lights

Question 14

Are Anti-collision lights required to be on at night?

Anti-Collision lights come in the form of Strobe or Beacons

Answer 14

FAR 91.209

Yes. Sunset to Sunrise AND anytime the aircraft is OPERATED,
Unless the PIC determines that they need to be turned off for safety of flight.

Beacon = RED anti-collision lights
Strobe (DA40) = WHITE anti-collision lights

Question 15

What are the 3 definitions of night and what are they used for?

Answer 15

FAR (1.1, 61.57, 91.209)

FAR 1.1 - Logging Night Time
= From the end of evening civil twilight to the beginning or morning civil twilight, as published in the Air Almanac and converted to LT

FAR 61.57 - Night Currency for pax
= From one hour after sunset to one hour before sunrise

FAR 91.209 - When Position AND Anti-Collision lights must be on
= From Sunset to Sunrise

Question 16

What are the two flashing white lights at each corner of the end/beginning of a RWY called?

Answer 16

REILs - Runway End Identifier Lights

Provide rapid and positive identification of the end of a RWY

Question 17

What are the lights that run along the edge of the RWY called? Describe them

Answer 17

RELS - Runway Edge Light System
1. White (IFR RWYs the last 2k ft or half of the RWY are YELLOW)
2. Lights at the end/beginning of the RWY will be RED for aircraft taking off and GREEN for aircraft landing

Categorized according to their intensity
HIRL - High Intensity
MIRL - Medium Intensity
LIRL - Low Intensity

Question 18

What are the lights in the middle of the RWY? Describe them

Answer 18

RCLS - Runway Centerline Lighting Systems

Exist at some precision approach RWYs. Spaced at 50ft intervals
At 3,000 ft remaining…
- Lights alternate WHITE and RED

At 1,000 ft remaining…
- All lights are RED

Question 19

What are the thick bar of lights that run near the centerline lights just after the thresholds?

Answer 19

TDZL - Touchdown Zone Lights

Two rows of light bars that run along the centerline
Go to 3,000ft or to the RWY midpoint

Question 20

Describe the different types of taxiway lighting

Answer 20

1. Taxiway Edge Lights - Blue
2. Taxiway Centerline Lights - Green
3. Clearance Bar Lights - Indicate holding points on Taxiways. YELLOW
4. Runway Guard Lights - Exist at RWY/Taxiway intersections. May be on the side or in pavement. YELLOW
5. Stop Bar Lights - Used to mark a point where ATC clearance is needed to cross or enter an active RWY. RED

Question 21

Explain the different types of Rotating Beacons at an airport

Answer 21

Civilian - WHITE and GREEN
Civilian Water - WHITE and YELLOW.
Heliport - GREEN, YELLOW and WHITE
Military - WHITE twice then GREEN

Question 22

Describe several types of Obstruction Lighting

Answer 22

Aviation Red - Flashing or Steady.

Medium to High Intensity White Lights - Flashing. Reduce brightness automatically at night. May not be on structures less than 200ft AGL

Dual Lighting - A combination of Steady Red and Flashing Red at night. Flashing high intensity White during the day.

Catenary Lighting - Flashing white markers for Power Lines and Power Structures

Question 23

How can you determine the status of a light system at an airport?

Answer 23

Check NOTAMs and the Chart Supplement.

*Be prepared to talk about the status and type of lighting at your dep and arr airports

Question 24

How can you activate a radio controlled light system while airborne?

Answer 24

Key the mic on a frequency listed in the chart supplement (usually CTAF)

1. Key 3x for Low
2. Key 5x for Med
3. Key 7x for High

Note: When the lights flicker, that is a warning that they are about to turn off. It is always good practice to re-light them when on final.

Question 25

What are some good preflight actions to take prior to a night flight?

Answer 25

1. Study WX, particularly the temp/dewpoint spread. IF they are close fog may be present
2. Wind direction and speed along route. Wind drift is very hard to see at night.
3. Have charts handy, adjacent charts too. Sectionals are good at depicting city lights
4. Have radio aids to navigation (VORs) frequencies ready if needed
5. Ensure your GPS is healthy and up to date
6. Make sure your flashlights work
7. Check area near your aircraft for FOD prior to taxiing

Question 26

How can you make sure you are maintaining RWY centerline when on T/O roll?

Answer 26

Use the distant RWY edge lights and your landing light to make sure you keep centerline

Question 27

How can you ensure proper flight orientation and navigating skills on a night flight?

Answer 27

1. Avoid flying into clouds or fog.
   
   • First indication is a gradual
     disappearance of ground
     lights
   • If the lights have a halo or
     glow around them this is a
     sign of fog
2. Practice basic maneuvers at night + unusual flight attitude recovery. Trust your instruments
3. Practice maneuvers with lights off to prepare for an electrical failure
4. Continually monitor position, time, fuel and distance calcs. Use NAVAIDs to assist if available.

Question 28

How should you handle an engine failure at night?

Answer 28

Same as day but when considering landing options:

Lighted areas
- Advantages - Well lit. Likely to have a good surface.
- Disadvantages - All kinds of obstructions. Poles, cars, wires.

Unlighted Areas
- Advantages - No obstructions.
- Disadvantages - No idea what you are landing on (field, rocky surface, lake, mountain)

*Whatever you do, maintain control of the aircraft to increase your chances of survival.

Question 29

How are approach’s and landings different at night?

Answer 29

1. Fly towards the beacon light until you have RWY lights in sight
2. Make sure all aircraft lights are on
3. Land with power on and at a higher airspeed as it can be hard to determine descent rates at night.

Question 30

What aircraft Lighting requirements exist for night flying?

Answer 30

FAR 91.209

Anti-Collision Lights
- Beacon (Red)
- Strobe (White)

Position Lights
- Red on LEFT
- Green on RIGHT
- White in REAR

Landing Light

Question 31

Describe aircraft Position Lights

Answer 31

*Red on the *LEFT
*Green on the *RIGHT
*White in the *REAR

Question 32

What instruments should you pay closure attention to during a climb at night?

Answer 32

1. Altimeter
2. VSI
3. Airspeed!

• It may be harder to judge if you are in a climb or not based solely on the Attitude Indicator
• If your attitude indicator is broken you will know you are still safely climbing by looking at the VSI

Question 33

What is dangerous about flying over large bodies of water at night?

Answer 33

• Lack of ground lights to reference
• Water and horizon may blend together
• Stars may reflect on the surface resulting in a False Horizon Illusion*

Question 34

What instruments should you pay close attention to during an approach to landing at night?

Answer 34

Airspeed and Altimeter

• This is because it is quite hard
  to determine descent and
  speed rates at night without
  visual references.
• Use VASI/PAPI lights and DO NOT get below the glideslope

Question 35

What does VASI stand for?

Answer 35

Visual Approach Slope Indicator

Question 36

What does PAPI stand for?

Answer 36

Precision Approach Path Indicator

Question 37

How do you know when to start the Round Out when landing at night?

Answer 37

Wait at least until the Landing light is shining on the surface

OR

When you can see tire/detail marks in the RWY surface.

Question 38

Which uses more oxygen at night, Rods or Cones?

Answer 38

Rods use more oxygen at due to having to work harder to maintain night vision

Question 39

What is a good altitude to stay below to avoid Rod oxygen depletion?

Answer 39

5,000ft

Question 40

What Night definition occurs first: 1hr after Sunset, or the end of Evening Civil Twilight?

Answer 40

The end of evening civil twilight happens first, at about 30mins after sunset.

Why is this important?

Because you cant log night Currency Landings until 1hr after Sunset. BUT you could log night time starting at 30 mins after sunset

Question 41

About when does Evening Civil Twilight end?

Answer 41

About 30 mins after sunset