Do you fly at night?

[Mike D]

Hi everyone.
I see and read about the many RV's with varous types of nav, landing, and strobe systems installed. But I have also read that many don't fly at night because they feel it is too dangerous. But then again, there are some night flyers amongst us. I hear Team RV is doing a twilight show. (which is awesome)

My RV-6A is set up for night flight but rarely will I fly a twilight/early night flight. And only then with some good moonlight and clear sky's over familiar ground.

I know this is about your individual comfort and ability, but just wondering how many of you fly your RV's at night?

If your night flying is in the company plane, this does not count for this poll. I am asking specifically about RV's here as they are fast, single engine, maneuverable planes which pose unique risks or opportunities.

[bkthomps]

circle on the climb out over the airport, plan your route to overfly airports at all time, and make a game of finding the local airport with the pilot controlled lighting, where's the danger? i love night flying

[Jaypratt]

I do not plan night flights.... But,,,

I will plan an early AM departure 20 30 minutes before sunrise usualy first light.
Rarely,,, come in after dark, dusk.

Read Dougs safety article, and live long...........................!

[bsacks05]

I have flown my RV several times at night, usually just after dusk by an hour or so. It is really enjoyable and my landings are usually pretty nice. Passengers dig the pilot controlled runway lights as well. I haven't flown at night into any other fields besides my home base, though.

[Toobuilder]

I voted "yes" because it is was the best of the choices you had. That said, I fully recognize that the chance of a safe forced landing is significantly reduced in the unlikely event of engine failure. With that in mind, I rarely set out on a long flight that is completely at night (though I have done it several times). When I do go that route I know that I've lost a big safety margin, and I don't take that fact lightly.

[RVFlyer]

I voted "rarely" because that is how often it happens. After 10 years flying fixed wing air ambulance, day or night, in all sorts of weather, it isn't a lack of experience or confidence. I'm just not comfortable doing single-engine night work any more....probably changed due to the addition of a wife and kids.

That being said, I will depart before sunrise or arrive after sunset at my home field. I've grown up in the area so the local knowledge gives me enough options to reduce risk to a comfortable level. The opportunity to watch the sun rise or set from the RV tips the scales a bit as well.

[N8RV]

I understand that there is no right or wrong answer to this question, and I have many hours of enjoyable night flight in my Yankee. It never bothered me much to fly at night in that plane, and I had far less engine information in that panel.

However, having heard more than one former airline pilot/RV owner respond with, "I used to fly at night and hard IFR because I had redundant engines and systems AND because I was being paid to do it. I don't fly single-engine hard IFR or at night," that was good enough for me.

I have nice panel lighting and HID landing and taxi lights ... and have yet to fly at night. Go figure.

[pierre smith]

Rarely. I've seen too many very bad outcomes after engine failure at night.

Past my risk level.

Best,

[jbDC9]

Originally Posted by Toobuilder

I fully recognize that the chance of a safe forced landing is significantly reduced in the unlikely event of engine failure. With that in mind, I rarely set out on a long flight that is completely at night (though I have done it several times). When I do go that route I know that I've lost a big safety margin, and I don't take that fact lightly.

Yep. I love night flying and do it from time to time, but I realize it ups the risk quite a bit in the event the big fan up front stops turning. I've done a couple of "long haul" night legs; departing at sunset from Palm Springs headed to Tucson, plus a dusk launch El Paso to Houston. It's kinda humbling to be out in the middle of nowhere, 11.5k feet, night, in an airplane I built in the garage... it was somewhat comforting to have I-10 in the distance. I've done Dallas-Houston numerous times in the dark, and even with I-45 tracking a few miles to the east, it's still pretty dark and desolate out there.

[Mile High Relic]

I voted rarely, but I'm hoping that is just the current state of affairs. I expect to fly more at night once I'm better versed in the 6 I bought. The statistics say the first 100 hours are the highest risk for buyers of homebuilts, so I'm working to get to at least that experience point before I do much night flying.

One of my favorite sights in the world is a sea of lights spread out in front of you. I can get a taste of that from some of the ridges around Denver, or when driving out of the mountains, but I'm definitely looking forward to canopy full of that in a small plane.

Along with the visuals of night flights, I really enjoy the cool, calm air. I only have about 20 hours at night though, and almost all of that is 20+ years ago. Night vision gets worse as you age, and also deteriorates at higher altitudes, and I'm starting at 5700'. Sometime this summer or fall I'll look up the CFI that gave me my tail wheel endorsement and we'll go for a couple night flights and see how I feel after that.

Not sure what an IFR rating has to do with it. I've logged more actual IMC than night, and IMC is definitely more work.