AAAHHHH the black hole.....

[MARZ]

Tonight I heard the beckon call of some night flying. My currency had dropped off some months ago prior to summer. So out I went to the airport did the preflight and checked all the night things twice - lights, two extra flash lights dialed in my spare radio and then one more walk around the plane.

Got up in the air and was taken by the whole experience - flying over the city recognizing all the areas hemmed in by street and car lights and just the beauty of it all.

On my first landing the downwind was an easy - 1000 foot downwind 100 mph quick look at the gps - 1 mile pattern first GUMPS. Abeam the numbers make sure my rpms were right - couple pumps on the flaps - couple spins on the trim - check over the shoulder look for the threshold....

There it was - the green lights were especially green the night is gorgeous - turn base full flaps adjust trim - looking good, check the runway, there's them pretty green lights.

Check my speed and descent rate - looking good. Turn final - GUMPS - 80 mph - just floating along "night flying is fantastic no wind just a still evening - gonna be a greaser"..... There’s them green lights - pretty.... looks like Christmas them green and RED lights -

No I didn't bend anything - even managed to grease the landing BUT.... I did stop for a period of time to reflect on the stupid thing I had just done.. I was definitely below glideslope how far is hard to tell - luckily my first landing was at my home airport, and though I know from day flying that one can cheat the slope and not get into trouble it was night and my attention had not been where it should have been.

This evening could have been a bad one.

Lesson learned - fortunately not the hard way.

Fly safe

Mike

[201er]

I agree, 750mg and you'll be greasing those night landings and seeing all sorts of colors!

[Hank]

Ahh, the dangers of night flight into fancy airports! Glad you recognized it and made corrections. "There's no place like home" applies to more than just the house. Wonder if AOPA would consider adding this to their Night Flight brochure of hazards to watch out for?

At home, the pretty green lights are invisible until short final due to trees, and there are no pretty red lights [i'm guessing you saw a VASI or PAPI]. Lots of white lights spread 200' wide, with the 75' runway not centered between them, and the angled blue taxiway lights about 1/3 of the way down. Even so, it's a pretty sight, and I like admiring the edge of downtown with traffic, stores, signs, etc., on downwind--that's all part of the attraction of night flight.

I still recall the magical feeling departing Charlotte Executive at sunset, northbound just under the Class B, admiring not only the city lights below but the streams of commercial traffic all lit up heading in/out of CLT. Absolutely beautiful! Then came darkness as I ventured into SW VA and eastern KY . . . When the sky is lit by stars more so than the ground by lights, that means I'm on my way home. And I learned coming back my first long trip at night, don't relax and stop flying in the flare just because it feels so good to be home again! Two surprise porpoise bounces, full power, cross fingers because it's dark and I can't see the trees, second time around I was alert and had a normal landing.

[1964-M20E]

Gald everything worked out. I need to go up and do some nigth work as well. mabye this evenign or tomorrow evening.

On another note.

Any way we can get SenedgeroTrig off the board and his IP address banned we do not need his nonsense.

[Hank]

Any way we can get SenedgeroTrig off the board and his IP address banned we do not need his nonsense.

YAAAAYYY!!!!! It worked! Thanks, Craig!!

So does the advent of multiple spammers on the site mean that "we have arrived"?