47
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Why do some companies perform their freight flights only during the night?
As the previous answers have stated, their schedules are determined by what best suits their needs. However, those schedules can be complicated by contractual and curfew requirements.
A contractual ...
- 39.1k
36
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Why do some companies perform their freight flights only during the night?
These cargo companies specialized in overnight delivery. Basically, they have their last pickups in cities in the afternoon/evening(depending on timezone/flight durations), and then load it onto the ...
- 6,329
34
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Are landings easier during the day or at night?
I'm going to answer this in somewhat of a more general sense but first let's clear up a few things.
During the night the runway is brightly lit and all the guiding lights
are clearly visible, but ...
- 100k
28
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Is flying during the day safer than flying at night?
First, I should reiterate that commercial flights at any time of day are extremely safe. Saying flights at night are more dangerous is like saying going to buy groceries at night is more dangerous. ...
- 6,705
27
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How did night fighter aircraft manage to shoot down their foes in World War II?
The night fighting in WWII was mainly between the RAF and Luftwaffe, with the Luftwaffe fielding most of the night fighters due to necessity (the others too had some fine night fighters, though none ...
- 99.9k
27
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What is the night effect?
In short
The night effect is actually a mirage. Listening to radio communications originating from below the radio horizon is like looking at a looming:
Looming optical illusion, source: SKYbrary
...
- 69.7k
26
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Why do some companies perform their freight flights only during the night?
Another thing to consider, besides the need to get cargo to its destination in the morning (which is often but not always the case), is cost.
Many busy airports charge different fees for parking as ...
- 15.8k
25
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Why do fighter pilots use night vision goggles rather than normal light inside the cockpit?
former F-18 pilot here, it's my first post here so be kind :)
NVG's are not for domestic use, they are entirely tactical. Here are some uses;
Night formation (Defensive/Offensive counter air ...
- 411
24
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Why is this F/A-18 flying through a hailstorm of sparkles?
The sparks in the video come from the F-18's Vulcan cannon being fired at night.
During daytime you'd only see muzzle flash accompanied by a pretty puff of smoke. Low light conditions bring out the ...
- 26.7k
23
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What is the best procedure for landing at my destination if I have a full electrical failure at night?
Here's an investigation report on this very sort of thing in Canada. Note that the standard procedure to alert ATC that you have a total electrical/comms failure is to fly a left hand triangle twice ...
- 125k
22
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How should night time be determined and logged in a fast westbound plane?
I don't think many airline crew actually bother to log the day/night breakdown.
At my airline we have different pay rates for day and night flying, so we do care, but the company "Electronic Logbook" ...
- 37.3k
22
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Why aren't runways lit from overhead, like highways?
Because the planes might hit them and it's not great for your vision at night. Runway edge lights are not intended to illuminate the runway they are intended to outline it. Proper runway lighting very ...
- 100k
21
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How does the FAA define day and night?
Day and Night for Pilots
As pilots we often talk about night flying and daytime flying meaning when it is dark or light, but for logging time and for currency there are specific definitions that we ...
- 7,371
20
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How did night fighter aircraft manage to shoot down their foes in World War II?
There are so many inaccuracies and omissions in @aeroalias' answer that I take it upon myself to add another answer.
Early Years (1939 - 41)
Up until the start of the war, aircraft were located by ...
- 228k
19
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Are landings easier during the day or at night?
Depth perception is always better in daylight. You can see the entire surface and surroundings, not just a little spotlit patch ahead of you, which fades to black, then with bright lights in your ...
- 125k
16
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How is an off-field landing accomplished at night?
Off-field landings at night are inherently more difficult and hazardous than in the day because depending on conditions you may have no way to tell what is down there. Unless you have decently strong ...
- 52.8k
15
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Why do some companies perform their freight flights only during the night?
Short answer is "logistics."
Many flights occur at night, but not all of them. The aircraft have to be repositioned.
First, they don't "only" perform flights at night, but many of the flights occur ...
- 8,532
13
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How do pilots avoid thunderstorms at night over the pacific en route to Australia where there is no radar? And what if a large front develops?
You get by on your airborne weather radar which is good out to about 80 miles. You may also get help from other pilots ahead of you on your route providing PIREPS to ATC on HF, or talking to you ...
- 125k
12
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How should night time be determined and logged in a fast westbound plane?
Let me point out that for the purposes of logging flight time, night is defined under 14 CFR 1.1 as follows:
Night means the time between the end of evening civil twilight and the beginning of ...
- 16.5k
12
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What is the best procedure for landing at my destination if I have a full electrical failure at night?
While full electrical system failure is uncommon, it does happen. It has happened to me personally on a flight over north Texas, due to an alternator failure. It's important to discern the cause as ...
- 4,837
11
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How does a small aircraft like a Cessna fly at night?
Lets attack this from a few different angles.
then night hits and its now pitch black with zero visibility?
There is plenty of visibility at night, a clear night is just as nice as a clear day. ...
- 100k
11
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Does the FAA require a rating for night VFR?
There's no separate night rating or endorsement in the US, it's included in the private pilot flight proficiency requirements (14 CFR 61.107) and the specific required experience is in 14 CFR 61.109:
...
- 71.5k
10
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How useful is skyscrapers and high buildings lighting to get a visual reference for pilots by night? (not obstruction lights, just general lights)
Buildings and their lights can be very useful to aircraft in VFR conditions at night to orient themselves regardless of the type of aircraft.
Three building lighting examples that I often used were:
...
- 39.1k
10
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Are planes flying at night in Papua New Guinea?
The Civial Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) of Papua New Guinea allows flying at night, assuming the aircraft is equipped for night flying:
91.511 Night instruments and equipment
(a) Each powered ...
- 53.5k
9
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If I am pushing my aircraft into the hangar with a tow bar, at night, with the engine off, am I required to activate my rotating beacon?
The AIM gives good advice, but that is really all it is. It is acceptable methods of complying with the regulations, but you are not required to comply with what the AIM says. In questions of what you ...
- 16.5k
9
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Are landings easier during the day or at night?
I wouldn’t say one is easier than the other. Obviously for nighttime, the runway needs to be illuminated or pilot controlled lighting available to properly spot and line up with the runway as well as ...
- 71.8k
8
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How does a small aircraft like a Cessna fly at night?
First, let's get the obvious answer out of the way: the aircraft flies fine, it doesn't know it's night. It's the pilot who may have issues with night flying.
It's true that night flying isn't the ...
- 71.5k
8
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How hard is it to fly with night vision goggles?
I flew the single seat light-attack A7 for the US Navy. In 1985 I was at a base out west that was a test center, and was testing software upgrades to the flight system. When I got there, the only ...
- 4,288
8
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What counts as "night" for a student pilot's night landings?
In my opinion, you should use the FAR 1.1 definition of night time when meeting the requirements of FAR 61.109 (a) (2) for your PPL.
Then use FAR 61.57 (b)(1) when meeting the requirements to carry ...
- 32.3k
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