There are several other illusions that lie in wait to catch the unwary pilot at night. If there are scattered clouds below, on an approach with the runway in plain sight, it is possible to fly into a cloud and suddenly lose everything. These are merely a few of the differences between flying VFR at night and in the daytime. When you are alone, flying at night, the feeling of loneliness is much greater at night than it is in the daylight. If you are high enough to see the cities and towns, VFR navigation by pilotage at night is very easy.
Prominent landmarks stand out at night just as they do in the daytime.
On a clear night, the lights of the cities and towns stand out like jewels on black velvet, and by comparing their layout to the VFR chart, it is a simple matter to maintain your orientation. Of course, in really desolate, sparsely populated areas, it is an enormous help to have and use navaids such as Loran C or GPS in those areas where VORs and NDBs are few and far between. Also, the air is more likely to be calm at night so wind corrections are likely to be less drastic than in the daytime. Another consideration is fuel. The operators at many airports close up and go home by nightfall, and if one is on a rather long trip requiring one or more fuel stops, it is important to call ahead and ascertain that fuel will be available when you arrive.