Night VFR

Navigation

Aims

  • To learn how to plan and safely execute a cross country flight at night

Objectives

  • At the end of this lesson, the student will be able to:
    • Understand the principles behind LSALT and how to calculate it
    • Grasp radio communications for entering CTA to depart on a night cross country
    • Understand how to use GNSS to navigate at night

Revision

  • What should you do immediately after rotation on a night VFR flight and why?
  • Why do we flash the landing light three times before starting the engine?
  • Why do we apply parking brakes and toe brakes while performing run ups at night?

Lowest Safe Altitude (LSALT)

  • LSALTs are established to ensure adequate terrain clearance at night
  • Does make some night flights difficult, particularly if you are planning to cross the Great Dividing Range in the summer
  • Per AIP Gen 3.3, the minimum LSALT is 1500 feet

Lowest Safe Altitude (LSALT)

LSALT

  • Can use Grid LSALT located on Enroute Charts (see image) or OzRunways, or calculate it manually
  • LSALT is 1360 feet above the highest terrain where any obstacle is less than 360 feet above the terrain
  • LSALT is 1000 feet above the highest obstacle which is greater than 360 feet above the terrain

Calculating LSALT

Uncharted Obstacle up to 360 Feet
  • For example, if there is an uncharted obstacle (up to 360ft) above terrain of 1000ft, LSALT is:
    • 1000ft (terrain height) + 1360ft (clearance height), for an LSALT of 2360ft

Calculating LSALT

Uncharted Obstacle up to 360 Feet

Calculating LSALT

Calculating LSALT

Charted Obstacle higher than 360 Feet
  • If there is an obstacle at 460ft above terrain of 1000ft, LSALT is:
    • 1460ft (obstacle + terrain height) + 1000ft (clearance height), for an LSALT of 2460ft

Lowest Safe Altitude (LSALT)

Charted Obstacle higher than 360 Feet

Calculating LSALT

LSALT

GPS

LSALT — GPS

LSALT at Departure

  • Must not intercept course until established at route LSALT
  • Must be done in the vicinity of the departure aerodrome
  • Typical departure procedures mean circling up to LSALT within the circuit area — 3 nautical miles

LSALT at Arrival

  • Must not descend below LSALT until visual with the destination aerodrome and within 3 nautical miles
  • The only time you may descend below LSALT is if you are being radar vectored by ATC
  • They know the radar LSALT for the area which may be lower than calculated

NVFR Radio Communications

Aircraft Radio

NVFR Radio Communications

  • Radio calls for a NVFR departure into CTA are a little different than you may be used to
  • Requires coordination with ATC to ensure a timely departure
  • If you can, to reduce delays, depart early in the morning or after the evening rush (typically after 8 PM local)

NVFR Radio Communications

Typical Contact: Taxiing
  • You: Brisbane Centre, BNE, Aquila A210 taxiing Archerfield for Kingaroy, set course 4100, request code
    • Note: Kingaroy informs centre of your calculated LSALT
  • Centre: Aquila BNE, squawk 1867
  • You: 1867 BNE

NVFR Radio Communications

Typical Contact: Request Airways after Departure
  • You: Brisbane Centre, BNE, Aquila A210, in the circling area Archerfield, request airways
  • Centre: Aquila BNE, climb to 4500 within the circling area, set course
    • the climb will be to an altitude in your flight plan, above LSALT
  • Be prepared for airborne delays or being told to hurry up — the airliners into YBBN take precedence over us GA folk

NVFR Radio Communications

Typical Contact: Request Airways Enroute
  • Requesting airways clearance enroute is the same as you’ve done during the day for your PPL
  • Nothing changes at night, the only difference between night and day VFR ATC communications is the departure segment

NVFR Alternate Requirements

Aircraft in IMC

Weather Alternate Requirements

  • A pilot must have an alternate airport if the weather forecast falls below any of:
    • Ceiling (SCT or more) of 1500ft AGL or below
    • Visibility less than 8 kilometres
    • TS or SEV TURB
    • Crosswind greater than for the aircraft

Lighting Alternate Requirements

Portable

Portable Airport Lights

  • Where a destination has portable lighting, a pilot must have an alternate unless a responsible person is in attendance (and knows how to activate the lights) for ETA/ETD +/- 30 minutes
  • A responsible person is someone who knows how to operate the lighting

Lighting Alternate Requirements

PAL
  • When an airport has PAL and standby power, an alternate is required unless a responsible person is in attendance to switch on the aerodrome lighting manually

Lighting Alternate Requirements

PAL
  • This alternate need not have standby power or standby portable runway lighting, but the aeroplane must have one of:
    • dual VHF comms
    • single VHF and HF communications and carry 30 minutes holding fuel to allow for the alerting of ground staff if the VHF comms were to fail

Lighting Alternate Requirements

Portable

Aircraft Cockpit at Last Light

  • The aforementioned lighting alternate requirements do not apply if the aeroplane has enough fuel to hold until first light plus 10 minutes

Next Lesson

Introduction to GPS Navigation

Man in cockpit