PeterFromLA
Active Member
- Joined
- May 15, 2019
- Messages
- 289
- Location
- Los Angeles
- Aircraft
- American Ranger AR-1, Kallithea
- Total Flight Time
- 1,100+
Sometimes the day just runs away on you, and you have to fly home after dark. I have a PPL Gyro, so night flying is not a problem, but what I noticed is that most of my "darkness" flying have been done before 1 hour after sunset, so technically every Sport Pilot out there would have been legal to do it. The problem is that "Legal" is not always equal to "Capable". And that applies not just to the pilot, but to the aircraft itself.
Even with the required external lights fully functional, you should always keep in mind that the cockpit gets pitch black once the sun goes down. Being organized and knowing the layout of the switches and instruments is important, but nothing beats proper illumination.
I suggest to all Sport Pilots out there to take a trip in the darkness with their favorite CFI, so they can see first hand how it feels...
Even with the required external lights fully functional, you should always keep in mind that the cockpit gets pitch black once the sun goes down. Being organized and knowing the layout of the switches and instruments is important, but nothing beats proper illumination.
I suggest to all Sport Pilots out there to take a trip in the darkness with their favorite CFI, so they can see first hand how it feels...