Learning to fly safely at night takes time and experience. Pilot’s should practice maneuvers at night including straight-and-level flight, climbs and descents, level turns, climbing and descending turns, and steep turns. Practicing recovery from unusual attitudes should only be done with a flight instructor. Pilots may practice these maneuvers with all the flight deck lights turned OFF, as well as ON. This blackout training simulates an electrical or instrument light failure. Pilots should also use the navigation equipment and local NAVAIDs during the training. In spite of fewer references or checkpoints, night cross-country flights do not present particular problems if pre-planning is adequate. Just as during the day, the pilot continuously monitors position, time estimates, fuel consumed, and uses NAVAIDs, if available, to assist in monitoring en route progress.
AFH 11.7 Training for Night Flight
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