Night Landings

[minitour]

Haven't flown at night in quite a while and dad some trouble tonight with the night landings...mostly with the flare...can't get the right height to start the flare...

For a while I was too high, then we went to another airport and I was too low (almost hit the nose wheel - ouch)...

Any tips?

At first I thought it was the lights...the first place just had REIL and edge lights. The second had ALSF-2, TDZ lights, centerline lights, edge lights...the whole she-bang...so I don't think it was the lights.

Then I thought maybe I wasn't looking to the end of the runway when I transitioned into the flare...I was kinda looking at the runway right in front of us...

Any ideas?

Thanks!

-mini

 

[mmmdonut]

To this day night landings still screw me up. I tend to flare high as do many people. You have less visual referenece. Just out of curiosity, how's your vision? Some people who have 20/20 and no need for corrective lenses on their medical actually have a slightly degraded night vision.

 

[Swerpipe]

Double the distance

Then I thought maybe I wasn't looking to the end of the runway when I transitioned into the flare...I was kinda looking at the runway right in front of us...

Any ideas?

Thanks!

-mini

Hey mini,

You said it. Try a landing, then double the distance where you caught yourself looking last. If it goes better then double it again and use that. The end of the runway is too far out there for what you are flying. Good luck...

 

[minitour]

To this day night landings still screw me up. I tend to flare high as do many people. You have less visual referenece. Just out of curiosity, how's your vision? Some people who have 20/20 and no need for corrective lenses on their medical actually have a slightly degraded night vision.

Actually it is 20/20 uncorrected. However, I was in the optometrist a few years back (when I got a free visit from my company) they said I needed glasses (go figure - sales were down in the company). Funny little world, ain't it...

Thanks for the help guys!

-mini

 

[ClassdAviator]

I have also had the same problems with night landings. I came to realize that I was so used to landing on a 100 ft wide runway, but any time I went to another airport, everything got screwed up. So now I just keep it in the back of my head the width of the runway. It seems to help me with my flare but like anything else, its just going to take practice. Good Luck!

 

[OrphicSeth]

Here's a little trick I use that I pulled out of an FAA handbook, and it works for most of my students, both primary and recurrent:

Start the roundout and then onto the flare when you see the tire marks on the runway with landing light. Then, transition your eyes to the runway end and flare as normal, keeping the runway lights in your peripheral vision (which should happen naturally). Works almost everytime for my students. Doesn't work when you're landing lights out, obviously.

The problem I see with most people is actually flaring too low, not too high.

A few other tips:

Use the VASI/PAPI if supplied during night ops (I tend to have my student NOT use them during Day VFR unless they're low, because to maintain the slope is often not compatible to a stablilized VFR approach in many light GA a/c such as the PA-28-140 and other rocks with wings).

Remember the very convincing optical illusions: Upsloping runways and you'll be low, downsloping runways and you'll overshoot, black holes, and you'll get all sorts of confused. Use of VASI/PAPI will help fix these. That invaluable AF/D will tell you this kind of information.

Fly a normal pattern, don't get suckered into long finals, especially if the runway does not have any vertical guidance.

Fly safe!

 

[jimpilot]

Almost everyone I've ever seen have problems with night landings are looking at the runway right in front of them (even though they swear they're not). The advice is above is good. Force yourself to look at least 3/4 of the way down the runway as get ready to flair. And don't over worry about it, they will come back.

 

[350DRIVER]

It will come in time, like everything in aviation this area takes a little patience and practice. Once you get them down you should have no further problems or complications. Try and stay focused, look down the runway, and small corrections when within ground effect. Night emergencies: Turn landing light on, if you don't like what you see, turn landing light off.

3 5 0

 

[dmspilot00]

Sorry to resurrect an old thread, but no one has mentioned this...

So far most of the posts have agreed that people are looking too close to the aircraft during night landings. There is a simple fix... practice landing with the landing light turned off.

Also, start the roundout/flare as soon as the threshold goes under the nose.

 

[Lead Sled]

Sorry to resurrect an old thread, but no one has mentioned this...

So far most of the posts have agreed that people are looking too close to the aircraft during night landings. There is a simple fix... practice landing with the landing light turned off.

Also, start the roundout/flare as soon as the threshold goes under the nose.

FWIW, I always taught night landings without the landing lights. Then, after they had it figured out, I gave them the lights. It took a few extra landings, but neither me nor my students ever worry about how they'd handle it if (when) their landing light burns out.

'Sled