Yes but not at night
N941WR said:
One of the threads in the Glass Cockpit section had me thinking that a number of pilots are uncomfortable flying with minimum VFR instruments. The question is, "What is the minimum VFR equipment you are comfortable flying with?" (Day VFR flights only are assumed.)
My answer is: Compass, airspeed, altimeter, ball, chart and a watch. (The watch is so I can do time & distance calc's with my wiz wheel.)
Man, I miss flying J-3?s, T-Crafts, Luscombes, and Champs!
Bill the min per the FAR's listed below is fine, slip ball not need with my calibrated seat pants.
Sure no electrical system, no nav, no com is fine for local day VFR. However with battery powered handheld radios and GPS, I would have it for a long cross country for sure. Not all areas in the country are pilotage heaven. Why the electronics: I am lazy and safety. There is nothing like knowing exactly where you are and knowing what is going on at the airport. Dead reckoning is fun but with GPS why? Still I would pilotage or dead reckoning if I had to without worry.
Night VFR, the FAR's say you don't need any more equipment except approved position lights and anticollision lights and a power source for them.
I WOULD BE VERY MUCH LESS WILLING TO FLY LONG CROSS AT NIGHT WITH PILOTAGE ONLY AND NO ATTITUDE INSTRUMENT.
Practically speaking I would not be comfortable flying X-C on a dark night with out at least a T&B or TC.
Would I consider a no gyro, no com, no nav Cub for a night X-C flight (with lights of course)? It would have to be clear weather, fuller moon, over known benign terrain I had flown before with ground lights to pilotage off of. However, again with little battery powered GPS, I can't see doing that. Now with terrain displays it is even more of a safety enhancement for night flight. Why not avail yourself to it.
Many times taking off on a dark but VFR night, over water or remote unpopulated areas, I needed to go right on the gages. I am instrument rated, but that does not help much with just altitude, airspeed, tachometer and no gyro's.
Of course if you don't practice instrument flying it does not matter how fancy your GLASS is. Many say they will switch their autopilot on. Hard to argue with that but still think you should keep the instrument skills up.
I always taught my VFR pvt students to treat night as semi-instrument conditons and be prepared to use their attitude / gyro instruments. I always did night cross countries with students, intentionally trying to pick no or low moon nights. I remember flying on a full moon night with a student. It was so bright that after we took off I canceled the lesson. YOU could SEE everything easily.
Night cross-country with students was efficient because they logged both night and X-C dual. Dark remote airports (no ground lights) for landings is excellent training. Of course we had a 6-pak of instruments in the mighty C-152. I did this only after they had hood time and mastered night landings at a bigger well lit airport. They where well prepared, but it's a real eye opener for them when they rotated to see nothing but dark. I never had a problem with a student and felt good that if they blunder into a dark night spacial disorientation situation they have a chance.
I advise anyone to avoid (never) land at unfamiliar airports at night with out a PAPI or VASI, especially X-C. Read the night landing accident reports and you will know what I mean.
**(Significant Day VFR items)
Sec. 91.205
(1) Airspeed indicator.
(2) Altimeter.
(3) Magnetic direction indicator.
(4) Tachometer for each engine.
(5) Oil pressure gauge for each engine using pressure system.
(7) Oil temperature gauge for each air-cooled engine.
(8) Manifold pressure gauge for each altitude engine.
(9) Fuel gauge indicating the quantity of fuel in each tank.
(11) For small civil airplanes certificated after March 11, 1996, in accordance with part 23 of this chapter, an approved aviation red or aviation white anticollision light system. In the event of failure of any light of the anticollision light system, operation of the aircraft may continue to a location where repairs or replacement can be made.
(THAT'S IT)
George
PS: (Question about Anticollison light installation and operation)
Notice FAR 91.205 (11) above says your planes equip
must include anti-collison lights even for DAY VFR plane! Agree? That means if you have them you need to run them, right? per 91.209 - Aircraft lights:
"No person may:
(a) [Par (a), 1, 2 (i, ii, iii) and 3; talks to night time operations]
(b) Operate an aircraft that is equipped with an anticollision light system,
unless it has lighted anticollision lights. However, the anticollision lights need not be lighted when the pilot-in-command determines that, because of operating conditions, it would be in the interest of safety to turn the lights off."
I hate the wording but is says "lighted" anticollison lights. Which I read you must have anticollison lights on at all time if equiped with them, day or night. Par (a) does not apply.
I only mention it because I have seen some RV's with out collison lights installed. Also many folks don't run their collison lights during the day. Is that wrong?
