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Spooked about night flying in singles?
If not, maybe you should be. There will be a debate about flying at night in single-engine airplanes for as long as there are single-engine airplanes and it gets dark every night. That is a given. (airfactsjournal.com) עוד...Sort type: [Top] [Newest]
Fly a plane with a BRS a little less spooky
If it’s engine failure that is the worry, well, there’s probably a heck of a lot of day flIght time in the logbook when an engine loss wouldn’t have worked out too well either. At least there is in mine. My take on it is that if you’re seriously concerned that the engine is gonna quit, give up on singles completely. If it’s just general nervousness, that usually abates with experience, but, unfortunately, few single engine pilots outside of freight dogs really fly a lot at night.
The thing about single engine night, and single engine night IFR is that it seems like every little noise from the engine gets magnified..."did that engine just hiccup?" or "What was that sound?"
It depends on your age and responsibilities. The thought process in the brain changes dramaticly as we age. My first flying job was carrying canceled checks in a C-182 5 nights a week in every kind of weather around Ohio, Kentucky, and West Virginia. I didn't think a thing of it at the time. Hell, I was getting paid to fly! Now I shudder at the thought. I would never do it again but would also never trade the experience I gained for anything.
I know, just opt for something like the JRM Martin Mars. You are limited to big water, but at least you have 4 engines to pull you skyward.
I used to fly single engine VFR over water. Instructor asked me what would I do if I lost the engine beyond glide at night? I answered "Same thing I'd do during the day -- aim for the ferry" (it's a busy 12 miles over water)"