Night solo XC?

"G. Burkhart" wrote:

A question to the group. Do you normally fly many night solo cross
country flights?

I used to. I haven't had reason to do so in years. In fact, I haven't flown at night
at all in over a year.

George Patterson
If a man gets into a fight 3,000 miles away from home, he *had* to have
been looking for it.

Too bad JFK, Jr hadn't heard that. On hazy, moonless nights
instrument rating skills are useful.

Roger that - and I use mine every time I fly at night.
If what I heard is true though, JFK was clocked descending at 5000 fpm.
It would have taken more than instrument skills to recover that - sounds
as though he lost his empennage to me.
And it was at very least the third time that he had been discovered
flying IMC without the required training.
It's a tough lesson - learning that you are not invincible.
Or - was his aircraft sabotaged?
Both explanations are highly probable . . .
Which is it . . .
the plot thickens . . .

And who is next . . .???

Tony
--

Tony Roberts
PP-ASEL
VFR OTT
Night

Too bad JFK, Jr hadn't heard that. On hazy, moonless nights
instrument rating skills are useful.

Roger that - and I use mine every time I fly at night.
If what I heard is true though, JFK was clocked descending at 5000 fpm.
It would have taken more than instrument skills to recover that - sounds
as though he lost his empennage to me.
And it was at very least the third time that he had been discovered
flying IMC without the required training.
It's a tough lesson - learning that you are not invincible.
Or - was his aircraft sabotaged?
Both explanations are highly probable . . .
Which is it . . .
the plot thickens . . .

And who is next . . .???

Tony
--

Tony Roberts
PP-ASEL
VFR OTT
Night

"tony roberts" wrote

JFK was clocked descending at 5000 fpm.
It would have taken more than instrument skills to recover that - sounds
as though he lost his empennage to me.

Tony

Fishing, or do you believe that, and why?
--
Jim in NC

Elvis is Alive!!!!!
or not


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"tony roberts" wrote

JFK was clocked descending at 5000 fpm.
It would have taken more than instrument skills to recover that - sounds
as though he lost his empennage to me.

Tony

Fishing, or do you believe that, and why?
--
Jim in NC

Elvis is Alive!!!!!
or not


---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.774 / Virus Database: 521 - Release Date: 10/8/2004

On Tue, 12 Oct 2004 04:06:37 GMT, tony roberts
wrote in nospam-B9EC32.21100711102004@shawnews::

Too bad JFK, Jr hadn't heard that. On hazy, moonless nights
instrument rating skills are useful.

Roger that - and I use mine every time I fly at night.
If what I heard is true though, JFK was clocked descending at 5000 fpm.
It would have taken more than instrument skills to recover that

Ostensibly, the rapid rate of descent was the result of a grave yard
spiral. Perhaps instrument skills would have kept him from entering
it in the first place.

- sounds as though he lost his empennage to me.

You do possess remarkable powers of deduction. I don't recall that
being mentioned in the NTSB report. Upon what do you base that
opinion?

And it was at very least the third time that he had been discovered
flying IMC without the required training.

That is also a new bit of news. Discovered by whom? Given that most
of his flight hours were accumulated with an instructor next to him,
it may have been true, but not a violation. Where did you hear that?

It's a tough lesson - learning that you are not invincible.
Or

Nursing a broken leg from an ultralight crash should have given him a
clue.

- was his aircraft sabotaged?

Doubtful. He just didn't fly the flight he had planned due to delays
caused by automobile traffic and his sister-in-law. That can happen
to any pilot. Had he departed earlier, there might have been a more
visible horizon.

Both explanations are highly probable . . .

None of the speculative causes you present are plausible nor necessary
to explain the loss of control, IMO.

Maritime weather can change a lot in 10 minute; his WX briefing was
over two hours old by the time he finally departed.

Which is it . . .

Likely, it was a loss of visual ground reference combined with
inexperience...

the plot thickens . . .

And who is next . . .???

With your powers of clairvoyance, you should be able to provide an
answer to that question. :-)

On Tue, 12 Oct 2004 04:06:37 GMT, tony roberts
wrote in nospam-B9EC32.21100711102004@shawnews::

Too bad JFK, Jr hadn't heard that. On hazy, moonless nights
instrument rating skills are useful.

Roger that - and I use mine every time I fly at night.
If what I heard is true though, JFK was clocked descending at 5000 fpm.
It would have taken more than instrument skills to recover that

Ostensibly, the rapid rate of descent was the result of a grave yard
spiral. Perhaps instrument skills would have kept him from entering
it in the first place.

- sounds as though he lost his empennage to me.

You do possess remarkable powers of deduction. I don't recall that
being mentioned in the NTSB report. Upon what do you base that
opinion?

And it was at very least the third time that he had been discovered
flying IMC without the required training.

That is also a new bit of news. Discovered by whom? Given that most
of his flight hours were accumulated with an instructor next to him,
it may have been true, but not a violation. Where did you hear that?

It's a tough lesson - learning that you are not invincible.
Or

Nursing a broken leg from an ultralight crash should have given him a
clue.

- was his aircraft sabotaged?

Doubtful. He just didn't fly the flight he had planned due to delays
caused by automobile traffic and his sister-in-law. That can happen
to any pilot. Had he departed earlier, there might have been a more
visible horizon.

Both explanations are highly probable . . .

None of the speculative causes you present are plausible nor necessary
to explain the loss of control, IMO.

Maritime weather can change a lot in 10 minute; his WX briefing was
over two hours old by the time he finally departed.

Which is it . . .

Likely, it was a loss of visual ground reference combined with
inexperience...

the plot thickens . . .

And who is next . . .???

With your powers of clairvoyance, you should be able to provide an
answer to that question. :-)

Nathan Young wrote in message . ..
On 11 Oct 2004 06:22:57 -0700, (SelwayKid) wrote:

From curiosity, I
checked my logs and have just over 1500 night in a variety of aircraft
including night crop spraying with helicopter.

How does this work? Moonlit night?
Nathan
No...we have lights for it. Depending on the aircraft they may be
anything from 500W to 1200W. I do recall one night with a full moon
and as I was making my turnaround in helicopter, I spotted a shadow
passing right in front of me on the ground and it scared the sh**it
out of me until I realized it was my own shadow from the moon!!
Lots of funny stories about night flying in my logbook.
Selway Kid

Nathan Young wrote in message . ..
On 11 Oct 2004 06:22:57 -0700, (SelwayKid) wrote:

From curiosity, I
checked my logs and have just over 1500 night in a variety of aircraft
including night crop spraying with helicopter.

How does this work? Moonlit night?
Nathan
No...we have lights for it. Depending on the aircraft they may be
anything from 500W to 1200W. I do recall one night with a full moon
and as I was making my turnaround in helicopter, I spotted a shadow
passing right in front of me on the ground and it scared the sh**it
out of me until I realized it was my own shadow from the moon!!
Lots of funny stories about night flying in my logbook.
Selway Kid

Teacherjh wrote:
So, I still have to do my three every three, because one needs night
takeoffs too.

Yep, gives you the chance to practice turning the runway lights on
*before* you takeoff. Don't ask how I know this... :-)

--
Jack Allison
PP-ASEL, IA Student

"When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the Earth
with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there
you will always long to return"
- Leonardo Da Vinci

(Remove the obvious from address to reply via e-mail)