Night VFR

[Bandit12]

Booked in to do it with DDAC in Toowoomba, I wanted to do it down in Brisbane, but with work lately being busy etc... it just wasn't happening, so decided to do it in Toowoomba, it's only 100klm each way rather than the odd 300klm to Brisy. One of benefits of Toowoomba is the nav's will be out west where there's nothing, whereas down the coast you can pretty much follow the lights...I think I'll stick to the 172 or 182 since I know those aeroplanes fairly well. I got the choice of doing it in the G1000 172, but figured that's cheating rather, and would be much easier than steam gauges and things that you can't see in the dark... if the lights don't work.

Say hi to Tim Berry from Shane Costello if you have him at all. Flying west from TMBA really gives you some good black hole experiences, with very little light and horizion sometimes. Funnily enough I found night navs out there quite easy, but much harder around Brissy where the airport lights just disappeared into the mess of electricity.

 

 

[IanR]

I had an experience at night which really showed me how much trouble night VFR can get you in to. We were flying from Avalon to Bankstown - most at night. I was very current IFR at the time and we departed in IFR conditions. We flew into fine weather about half way so relaxed and flew as if VFR. After we passed Goulburn we basically lost all visual reference - we were in the clear but had flown under a high overcast and there was also low cloud at the same time !! It was very disorienting and I had to concentrate hard for a few minutes to get back to IFR mode. It made me think - the same thing could easily have happened to a VFR pilot who was not really current on instruments - and it would have been very difficult.

 

On my NVFR test we actually flew into a cloud we didn't know was there - small one luckily !

 

My main use for NVFR was, as others have said, departing early or landing late. I remember one morning taking off from Birdsville and watching the sun come up - spectacular.

 

 

[Bandit12]

Yep, watching a sunrise or sunset from the air is the biggest kick for me when NVFR.

 

 

[biggles]

My main use for NVFR was, as others have said, departing early or landing late. I remember one morning taking off from Birdsville and watching the sun come up - spectacular.

 

Ian ,

 

I also departed Birdsville around sunrise on the way back from Karumba last year . Flew in to find that the airport was closed for runway resealing for the following 2-3 days ( did'nt check Notams !! ) . Spoke to the work Supervisor in the pub that night , and he agreed to let us get out before work commenced , but said early The day was clear and like you said , the sunrise was spectacular .Good bloke though , he seemed to take pity on a couple of oldies , and told us to take one of his vehicles and have a look at the place . He was a pilot also , and realised the problems associated with getting somewhere and not having transport .

 

Bob

 

 

[IanR]

Birdsville is good for a stopover but good you got out as 2-3 days would stretch it a bit

 

 

[fly_tornado]

So is there a limit to how high you can fly with NVFR?

 

 

[Tomo]

Thanks everyone for your thoughts, has been great to read through! Most appreciated.

 

PS: I bought the bike in Warwick. Pick it up beginning of April

That's awesome! Will be a pretty neat trip back south on the old girl.

 

 

[Tomo]

So is there a limit to how high you can fly with NVFR?

Not that I'm aware of, just the same as Day VFR, anything above FL100 you need oxygen, flightplan/clearance.

 

 

[old man emu]

That's awesome! Will be a pretty neat trip back south on the old girl.

She's coming home in the back of the ute. I've got to relearn how to ride one.

 

OME

 

 

[motzartmerv]

Tomo..Why?.. Sorry if i missed it in one of your post's.. But why do you want a night VFR rating?

 

 

[Tomo]

Tomo..Why?.. Sorry if i missed it in one of your post's.. But why do you want a night VFR rating?

Hey Motz, I am really only doing it for the extra experiance, and for those times when leaving before sun up is much more pleasant etc... I will be doing commercial later on in the year, so it's just another handy thing to know.

 

I know I should just do an IF rating but I seriously can't afford it at the moment!

 

 

[Guest Howard Hughes]

Until you are comfortable and competent in a "Black Hole" environment you are in skills deficit, with some very nasty possibilities.

I've been doing them for years, don't know I'll ever be 'comfortable'...