Night Currency - Why Full Stops?

"Ross" wrote in message
...
am 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.

I think he already knew that, but wanted the logic behind it, so the below
certainly helps.


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 I tended to be high on
approach at night.

I find night landing not so much a problem as takeoffs, since we're pretty much
in open, dark country and once airborne the depth perception diminishes rather
quickly. It's not so bad when in and out quickly.

Matt