"bstanton" null.com wrote in message
...

I think the answer is yes, I'd be OK with short flights.
Here's my thinking:

1) I could keep night currency. That way I could just rent
a plane with lights and an electrical system for longer
night flights with less hassle and less expense getting
current. Right now, if I want to rent a plane and return at
night it's a royal pain to get night current before the
flight I want to make, and half the time the planned
night-return flight gets canceled anyway.

2) I could still do the quick flight up and around the
pattern with a friend who wanted to just see what it looked
like at night.

3) I would have a bit more flexibility with return flights.
I've occasionally found more headwind than expected and
worried about making it home before night.

4) It would be nice to make myself a bit more more visible
in the pattern at the end of a flight.

It appears a wind driven generator was probably originally
used for the lights - are they still available?


I believe I've seen one advertised in the not too distant past. They didn't
work very well, historically speaking. They had a tendency to throw blades.

How long is a "short" flight? Have you determined what the power
requirements are for the anticollision, position, and instrument lights for
a flight of that length? Have you done any calculations on the weight?