Terrain Avoidance at Night

My early years of flying were spent in the Midwest where as long as you
were over 2000 MSL, there were very few obstacles to hit and no
terrain. Now that I have moved out West (Phoenix) I am increasingly
paranoid about hitting terrain at night.

Choosing a cruise altitude is easy (well above anything even close to
your route). However, what I worry about is my letdown to pattern
altitude at the destination airport as well as departure. Short of
filing IFR (which carries with it Oxygen requirements for some local
MEAs) what other strategies do you all use? Any "systems" or
tricks to share, or is it pretty much just look at the sectional and
make a plan?

--Dan

Dan wrote:
My early years of flying were spent in the Midwest where as long as you
were over 2000 MSL, there were very few obstacles to hit and no
terrain. Now that I have moved out West (Phoenix) I am increasingly
paranoid about hitting terrain at night.

Choosing a cruise altitude is easy (well above anything even close to
your route). However, what I worry about is my letdown to pattern
altitude at the destination airport as well as departure. Short of
filing IFR (which carries with it Oxygen requirements for some local
MEAs) what other strategies do you all use? Any "systems" or
tricks to share, or is it pretty much just look at the sectional and
make a plan?

--Dan

EGPWS?

Kidding.

I live in flatland, so I'm just thinking here, but I'm thinking you
could just take a look at the instrument approaches for the airports.
Take a look at the altitudes listed on the charts, stay above, and you
should be fine.

"Dan" wrote in message
ups.com...
My early years of flying were spent in the Midwest where as long as you
were over 2000 MSL, there were very few obstacles to hit and no
terrain. Now that I have moved out West (Phoenix) I am increasingly
paranoid about hitting terrain at night.

Choosing a cruise altitude is easy (well above anything even close to
your route). However, what I worry about is my letdown to pattern
altitude at the destination airport as well as departure. Short of
filing IFR (which carries with it Oxygen requirements for some local
MEAs) what other strategies do you all use? Any "systems" or
tricks to share, or is it pretty much just look at the sectional and
make a plan?

--Dan


Hi Dan,

Welcome to the area! At which airport are you based?

Jay Beckman
Chandler

Jay,

I'm a member of Phoenix Flyers, 2 planes at DVT and 2 at CHD. I fly
out of both.

--Dan


Jay Beckman wrote:
"Dan" wrote in message
ups.com...
My early years of flying were spent in the Midwest where as long as you
were over 2000 MSL, there were very few obstacles to hit and no
terrain. Now that I have moved out West (Phoenix) I am increasingly
paranoid about hitting terrain at night.

Choosing a cruise altitude is easy (well above anything even close to
your route). However, what I worry about is my letdown to pattern
altitude at the destination airport as well as departure. Short of
filing IFR (which carries with it Oxygen requirements for some local
MEAs) what other strategies do you all use? Any "systems" or
tricks to share, or is it pretty much just look at the sectional and
make a plan?

--Dan


Hi Dan,

Welcome to the area! At which airport are you based?

Jay Beckman
Chandler

Dan wrote:

My early years of flying were spent in the Midwest where as long as you
were over 2000 MSL, there were very few obstacles to hit and no
terrain. Now that I have moved out West (Phoenix) I am increasingly
paranoid about hitting terrain at night.

Choosing a cruise altitude is easy (well above anything even close to
your route). However, what I worry about is my letdown to pattern
altitude at the destination airport as well as departure. Short of
filing IFR (which carries with it Oxygen requirements for some local
MEAs) what other strategies do you all use? Any "systems" or
tricks to share, or is it pretty much just look at the sectional and
make a plan?

I tend to fly IFR at night so you can always fly a full approach if you
are really concerned. Often the light is good enough that you can still
see the mountains and other such obstacles. Study the sectional well
and know where the obstacles are located and you should be find.

Matt

Matt Whiting opined

Dan wrote:

My early years of flying were spent in the Midwest where as long as you
were over 2000 MSL, there were very few obstacles to hit and no
terrain. Now that I have moved out West (Phoenix) I am increasingly
paranoid about hitting terrain at night.

Choosing a cruise altitude is easy (well above anything even close to
your route). However, what I worry about is my letdown to pattern
altitude at the destination airport as well as departure. Short of
filing IFR (which carries with it Oxygen requirements for some local
MEAs) what other strategies do you all use? Any "systems" or
tricks to share, or is it pretty much just look at the sectional and
make a plan?

I tend to fly IFR at night so you can always fly a full approach if you
are really concerned. Often the light is good enough that you can still
see the mountains and other such obstacles. Study the sectional well
and know where the obstacles are located and you should be find.

Or just fly an approach VFR. Get flight folowing if you are worried about IFR
traffic.


-ash
Cthulhu in 2005!
Why wait for nature?

Ash Wyllie wrote:
Matt Whiting opined


Dan wrote:


My early years of flying were spent in the Midwest where as long as you
were over 2000 MSL, there were very few obstacles to hit and no
terrain. Now that I have moved out West (Phoenix) I am increasingly
paranoid about hitting terrain at night.

Choosing a cruise altitude is easy (well above anything even close to
your route). However, what I worry about is my letdown to pattern
altitude at the destination airport as well as departure. Short of
filing IFR (which carries with it Oxygen requirements for some local
MEAs) what other strategies do you all use? Any "systems" or
tricks to share, or is it pretty much just look at the sectional and
make a plan?


I tend to fly IFR at night so you can always fly a full approach if you
are really concerned. Often the light is good enough that you can still
see the mountains and other such obstacles. Study the sectional well
and know where the obstacles are located and you should be find.


Or just fly an approach VFR. Get flight folowing if you are worried about IFR
traffic.

You might want to read the subject before posting. Saves the
embarrassment of making a completely irrelevant post.

Matt

Matt Whiting opined

Ash Wyllie wrote:
Matt Whiting opined


Dan wrote:


My early years of flying were spent in the Midwest where as long as you
were over 2000 MSL, there were very few obstacles to hit and no
terrain. Now that I have moved out West (Phoenix) I am increasingly
paranoid about hitting terrain at night.

Choosing a cruise altitude is easy (well above anything even close to
your route). However, what I worry about is my letdown to pattern
altitude at the destination airport as well as departure. Short of
filing IFR (which carries with it Oxygen requirements for some local
MEAs) what other strategies do you all use? Any "systems" or
tricks to share, or is it pretty much just look at the sectional and
make a plan?


I tend to fly IFR at night so you can always fly a full approach if you
are really concerned. Often the light is good enough that you can still
see the mountains and other such obstacles. Study the sectional well
and know where the obstacles are located and you should be find.


Or just fly an approach VFR. Get flight following if you are worried about
IFR traffic.

You might want to read the subject before posting. Saves the
embarrassment of making a completely irrelevant post.

Quoting from the original post:

"...However, what I worry about is my letdown to pattern
altitude at the destination airport as well as departure. Short of
filing IFR..."

I think that I am on topic. Perhaps I shouldn't have attached my suggestion to
the end of your post, but I didn't think that it mattered where I commented.

-ash
Cthulhu in 2005!
Why wait for nature?

Ash Wyllie wrote:
Matt Whiting opined


Ash Wyllie wrote:

Matt Whiting opined



Dan wrote:


My early years of flying were spent in the Midwest where as long as you
were over 2000 MSL, there were very few obstacles to hit and no
terrain. Now that I have moved out West (Phoenix) I am increasingly
paranoid about hitting terrain at night.

Choosing a cruise altitude is easy (well above anything even close to
your route). However, what I worry about is my letdown to pattern
altitude at the destination airport as well as departure. Short of
filing IFR (which carries with it Oxygen requirements for some local
MEAs) what other strategies do you all use? Any "systems" or
tricks to share, or is it pretty much just look at the sectional and
make a plan?


I tend to fly IFR at night so you can always fly a full approach if you
are really concerned. Often the light is good enough that you can still
see the mountains and other such obstacles. Study the sectional well
and know where the obstacles are located and you should be find.


Or just fly an approach VFR. Get flight following if you are worried about
IFR traffic.


You might want to read the subject before posting. Saves the
embarrassment of making a completely irrelevant post.


Quoting from the original post:

"...However, what I worry about is my letdown to pattern
altitude at the destination airport as well as departure. Short of
filing IFR..."

I think that I am on topic. Perhaps I shouldn't have attached my suggestion to
the end of your post, but I didn't think that it mattered where I commented.

It is considered good net form to reply to a message that actually has
something in it relevant to your reply. And this is still not the case
as even what you quoted mentions nothing about IFR traffic.

Matt

On 12 Sep 2006 17:16:19 -0700, "Dan" wrote in
. com:

what other strategies do you all use?

Choose a night with a full moon and clear skies.