From: geoff@peck.com (Geoff Peck)
Subject: Re: What do people think about night primary training?
Organization: Geoffrey G. Peck, Consultant, San Jose CA
Date: Sat, 10 Oct 1992 20:16:39 GMT

In article <1992Oct9.055842.25854@xymox.palo-alto.ca.us>
philf@xymox.palo-alto.ca.us (Phil Fernandez) asks about primary
training at night.

I've probably done more than half of my primary students at night
because I usually only have time to instruct at night.  (You, too,
can learn to fly at >>> Fly-By-Night Flight School <<<  :-)  )
A few students have come in with such a high percentage of night
time that the local examiner has joked that maybe their certificates
should have a restriction "Night flight only".  :-)

So, what's different about learning at night, and what needs to be
compensated for?

 -  Spotting traffic is much easier at night.  This makes night
    training (particularly IFR training) safer, but it also doesn't
    develop the student's scan as well as day flight might.

 -  Ground reference maneuvers can't be done easily at night, particularly
    in this area where high terrain surrounds the best lighted practice
    areas.

 -  Generally, there's less wind and little turbulence at night.
    This is a definite advantage at the beginning, but the student
    must be exposed at least somewhat to bumpy, windy flying during
    the private pilot training.

 -  Takeoffs and landings are no problem.  I've never had trouble
    teaching a student to do takeoffs and landings completely at
    night and then soloing them at night.  And the transition to
    day landings for a "night student" is usually easier than the
    transition to night landings for a day student.

 -  Flights to nearby local airports can develop not only radio skills
    and the skills in dealing with a new airport, but also night
    navigation skills -- following roads, using the VOR, etc.

 -  Emergency procedures must be taught more thoroughly -- students
    must know where to reach for controls without looking for them,
    and the drill of "what do you do if the engine quits shortly
    after takeoff" must be done more rigorously.  If that should ever
    happen to a student, they must be able to take the proper action.
    (The fact that a night emergency is typically more difficult to handle
    than a day emergency has not been lost on net.traffic over the years.)

When I have a "night student", I typically will do a day lesson or two
near the beginning of the course, which allows the student to get a better
handle on outside references, and to do a limited number of ground
reference maneuvers.  Then, we transition to night flight until after the
student has soloed.  (There might be a few day flights in there, with
a trip to a few local airports other than home base, crosswind landings,
etc.)

Once it's time to do the cross-country flights, though, I revert to mostly
day operations.  Both dual cross-countries are typically day; if a third
is needed, it may be at night.  The first solo cross-country is a day
flight.  The second one for my students is typically the long
cross-country, and I prefer that most if it be a day flight, but I won't
rule out a night leg at the end.  The third x-c, just long enough to make
the 10-hour minimum, may be either day or night.  And either #2 or #3 must
go through the TCA.  (These are not FAR's; these are my own training
standards.)

The final "finish-up" phase frequently does require some day time, since
that's when ground reference maneuvers and crosswind landings need to be
perfected.  However, portions of the finish-up phase can be done at night:
most takeoffs and landings, emergency engine-outs spiralling down to an
airport, MCA, stalls, hood work, etc.

						Geoff