Question on Night Cross Country (61)

[BoDEAN]

Examiner is having an issue with one of my students and our night X-Country.

We logged it at 2.4 total, 1.4 night. We took off before we could log night.
We flew 71 miles to an airport, landed, and flew back. Total trip was 142 NM.

61.109 (a)(2)(i) says that we need one cross country in SE in night VFR, 100 NM total distance.

The examiner can't see if we met this or not. I am unsure how to fix this issue. Any ideas?

 

[BoDEAN]

Go do a night flight that lasts longer than 2 hours and fly to an airport more than 100 miles from the departure airport.

Not 100 total, but 100 from the departure airport. So it must be a total of atleast 200 miles...unless I'm reading it wrong.

You met neither of those requirements.

61.109 says " 1 cross country flight over 100 nautical miles total distance"..........................

 

[snoopy_1]

1.4 of 2.4 = .583, .583 x 142 = 82.7 miles.

I suppose you could argue that you had a tailwind on the 1.4 night hours or you flew slow flight on the 1.0 hour of day.

 

[BoDEAN]

I coulda sworn you were asking about 61.129...Commercial...you did.

Edited it before you replied. Sorry

 

[TRLpilot]

i think he means that they departed around sunset so that the initial minutes were not technically night although the end portion of the first leg was at night.

you would have to prove that less than 42 miles of your flight were non-nighttime flying, but that doesn't seem to work with the numbers you have, except for the headwind/tailwind scenario. which brings up the question, what were you flying that averages only about 60 mph? i didn't think cubs usually have lights.

 

[Uncle Sparky]

Just to play devil's advocate.........The examiner has already called you on it and you didn't have a difinitive answer correct? From the examiners point of view, I would expect another flight for CYA purposes.

From a practical(I'm on your side)point of view........this:

1.4 of 2.4 = .583, .583 x 142 = 82.7 miles.

I suppose you could argue that you had a tailwind on the 1.4 night hours or you flew slow flight on the 1.0 hour of day.

..... seems to make sense.

Determining when "night" really begins is printed in B&W. Proving it, is another issue. I think I would chalk it up to experience and bite the bullet on this one. In the future if it's "twilight, the magic 1/2 hour, dusk, etc...." log it as night.

I wouldn't expect the examiner to give in on this one. He has already put it out on the table and really CAN'T reverse his decision without putting his own ticket on the line.

 

[User546]

Yea, I have to agree with the other ones. The best thing to do is just bite the bullet and redo it again and log it in a manner that can't be refuted.

If you feel really bad for your student to having to do it all over again, offer to pay for half the flight, or tell him you wont charge him for the "dual-instruction." Will turn it into a good experience for everyone involved.

Stuff like this happens, just chalk this one up, and you wont do it again!