"Stuart King" wrote in message
...
| I left MYR (Myrtle Beach, SC) last night about 8PM, departing on rwy 18.
A
| VFR aircraft departed just before me, and he got departure instructions
of
| turn north on course as soon as able (over the land). I was continued 180
| after takeoff on an IFR flight plan. I was about 1/2mile out over the
water
| before I got turned back inland and oncourse. I never seem to be able to
| shake that feeling of 'wow' when I fly out over the ocean at night. Its
so
| very dark.
|
| I was wondering if controllers intentionally steer VFR flights away from
| this, and steer them toward land earlier?
|
| My wife says she feels like she is going to fall off the earth out there.

As an IFR pilot, you're qualified to fly without visual references to the
horizon (e.g., over the ocean, facing away from land, at night). A VFR pilot
isn't (e.g., JFK Jr.). Sounds like common sense to me.