On Aug 12, 1:17*pm, Ross wrote:
wrote:
Subject says it all. *Why do the landings for night currency have to
be made to a full stop?

Thanks
Chris

I read the replies and I hope this is a better answer. One poster said
it correctly, the FARs say you have to.

But, night flying is so different than day. The perspectives of the
runway environment are different and whether you have a dark night or a
full moon night. Safety would be an answer, but I think it is more the
difference. Night flying on a moonless night is akin to IFR, almost,
especially in a sparsely populated area.

Just another bit of information. Before I had to sell my plane, our
local airport wanted to get night approach lights. I took the airport
sponsor and another pilot and went to a couple of airports that had VASI
lights. I made much better landings at night following the VASI than I
did at my home airport without them. I really found it amazing. I guess
ThenI tended to be high on approach at night.

--

Regards, Ross
C-172F 180HP
Sold
KSWI

If you want to really test your night time skills, find an isolated
uncontrolled airport with minimal lighting -- be sure it has a 4000
foot or more runway. Then, do your landings planning touchdown a
thousand feet from the approach end. The only way I can do it
consistantly is to put the Mooney in landing configuration, set the
manifold pressure to where I want it, and fly the approach airspeed. I
make throttle adjustments until my target flare point stays fixed in
my sight picture when I'm 500 feet above the ground. I would much
rather fly an ILS to minimums with a crosswind component near max
allowable than fly into small airports with basic lighting at night.
At least on an ILS when I look up and see the airport invironment I
know where things are supposed to be. Landing between the RR lights,
or just setting up right, means among other things factoring in the
width of the runway when imagining the sight picture to look for. I
prove all too often that that 'Right Stuff" is really hard to find in
my flight bag.