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11 Answers

MVFR at night

Asked by: 3965 views
Airspace, FAA Regulations, Flight Instructor, General Aviation, Instrument Rating, Light Sport Aircraft, Private Pilot, Weather

What is your thoughts about MVFR at night. I am a the type of pilot who doesn't like risk. I would never due it. It doesn't feel safe in my opinion. What is your opinions?

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11 Answers



  1. Kris Kortokrax on Feb 23, 2022

    You don’t give enough information to provide any advise.

    Are you talking about flying around the pattern or launching on a 300 mile cross country?

    Are you instrument rated and is the airplane equipped for instrument flight?

    Is the weather 1000 & 3 or 3000 & 5? Both fit the definition of MVFR.

    Are you a 60 hour newly minted Private Pilot or a 5000 hour Private Pilot?

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  2. Skycatcher06 on Feb 23, 2022

    Kris I just want a opinion on night flying VFR. Example a private non instrument rated pilot going from Nashville to Memphis in a piper archer. What would be your thoughts and opinion at that?

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  3. Mark Kolber on Feb 23, 2022

    The biggest issue for night MVFR is the increased risk of inadvertent entry into the clouds.

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  4. Kris Kortokrax on Feb 24, 2022

    OK. You didn’t mention an experience level (low time vs. high time). I know this may sound like nitpicking, but these things make a difference. There is another thing to consider that I forgot before. What kind of terrain are you flying over?

    These are really things you need to figure out for yourself. The easiest way to do that is to start off on a clear night and make the trip. Maybe take someone more experienced (a flight instructor) with you, if you are uncomfortable. Fly higher than you might during the day. It gives you more time to figure things out, if anything goes wrong.

    Maybe lay out your route in Google Maps (we didn’t have this 50 years ago). Check out the terrain. You might not want to fly over long stretches of wooded terrain. On one trip years ago ferrying a new helicopter from LA back to Chicago, I followed a powerline right of way through Missouri to avoid flying over wooded terrain.

    As you gain confidence, you can try it in lower VFR conditions. I don’t know that I would want to go in 1000′ ceilings on a cross country. You need to observe cloud clearance requirements and minimum altitudes per 91.119. If you go droning along at 500′ AGL, you will be operating in the area that wires and towers inhabit.

    Bottom line, don’t base your flights on what someone else might be comfortable with. Go experience things for yourself and set your own personal minimums.

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  5. KDS on Feb 25, 2022

    If something does not FEEL safe, then it is not safe. We all have that little voice in our head that says “I would not do that if I were you”. Listen to it.

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  6. Skycatcher06 on Feb 25, 2022

    I am not going VFR at night. I would never go VFR at night. I don’t feel comfortable with it and my brother ,(IFR rated private pilot) also says no to VFR at night. I just want to know if others agree that it’s bad or if anyone has a different opinion about night flying MVFR

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  7. Kris Kortokrax on Feb 25, 2022

    I took your original post to be asking if people thought it would be safe for you to do the flights.

    If you are only asking for my opinion, I don’t agree that it is bad. I’ve been flying for over 50 years. Looking back at my logbook, I see that my dad and I (both got our certificates at about the same time), got some night dual (it wasn’t required for a Private certificate back then) and made some night flights shortly after getting the Private. Over the years, I have flown at night to provide the required dual instruction to students (both airplane and helicopter). I flew a police helicopter over the Chicago metro area at night. I did helicopter rides out of a strip club at night. One thing I shied away from was doing night flights over unfamiliar terrain in AZ, NM & TX when ferrying helicopters from Los Angeles back to Chicago. Too many unlit rock formations.

    I would think that statistics would show that most accidents happen during the day, but that is due the the fact that most pilots fly during the day.

    Less crowded sky at night means more room for me to fly.

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  8. Skycatcher06 on Feb 25, 2022

    Kris
    Thank you for your opinion
    Thanks for sharing your experience 🙂

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  9. Mark Kolber on Feb 27, 2022

    Skycatcher06,

    I’ve been flying 30 years and have loved flying at night since the first time I did it as a student pilot, I used to get a lot more night hours than I do now but that has nothing to do with fear of the dark.

    We all make our choices.

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  10. Bringupthebird on Mar 05, 2022

    MVFR should be treated for all intents and purposes as “Almost IFR”. You should perform a Risk Assessment before flight and you will find that night combined with MVFR raises the risk significantly. IFR risk is best hedged with proficiency, two engines and an autopilot.

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  11. Skycatcher06 on Mar 06, 2022

    Thanks everyone for there opinions!

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