NWA From United States of America, joined Jun 2001, 1200 posts, RR: 4 Posted (8 years 6 months 1 day ago) and read 2315 times:
Hey, I was just thinking about things all pilots do differently, and I thought I would ask all of you what your preferences are.
Night Lighting: Medium or High intensity? On VFR, I like to use medium and on IFR I'll go High.
Landing light: On or off in the day? Its on the checklists (most), but what's the use for it in the day? Usually I'll turn it on in the day if there is traffic, otherwise I'll leave it off.
Opening an IFR flight plan: phone, ground, air? Which is your preference? I know it can very from airport to airport, but if its VFR its much easier to open in air as far as I am concerned.
Initial call at uncontrolled Fields, how far out? I like to call 10 out or so depending.
Just thought I'd ask, since I think all of these are personal preferences. Good day
23 victor, turn right heading 210, maintain 3000 till established, cleared ILS runwy 24.
Woodreau From United States of America, joined Sep 2001, 890 posts, RR: 7 Reply 1, posted (8 years 6 months 1 day ago) and read 2276 times:
Night lighting? In the cockpit or on the runway? I keep the cockpit lighting off, the panel lights as low as I can get it. For pilot controlled lighting, I'll turn it as high as I can (after listening for a while to see if anyone is final at any airport using the CTAF freq) until I see the field, then on downwind turn it down to low. Some lights are uncomfortably bright to the point where I'm blinded.
Landing light, turn it on day or night. That way I'm consistent day or night, I won't forget it in the flow.
IFR flight plan open with clearance on the ground. If no clearance delivery and it's IFR I'll use the cellphone, if it's VFR, I'll depart VFR and open the IFR clearance in the air.
Initial call, about 10 miles out, 5 minutes before I'm on top of the airport. I'll be listening from 20 miles out, just so I can get a picture on what's going on. If I'm on an instrument approach, I translate it to a distance and direction from the airport rather than XXXXX intersection inbound on the VOR xx approach, which means nothing to non-instrument pilots.
Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from surviving bad judgement.
2H4 From United States of America, joined Oct 2004, 8950 posts, RR: 62 Reply 2, posted (8 years 6 months 21 hours ago) and read 2126 times:
AIRLINERS.NET CREW HEAD DATABASE EDITOR
In the Skyhawk, I used to leave the landing light on for the entire flight, night or day. Then, one summer, I smelled smoke and discovered it was coming from the landing light switch. It was so hot I burned my finger when shutting it off. The switches on the R model have circuit breakers built into them to prevent this sort of thing from happening, but this one obviously failed.
As a result, I only use the landing light when in the vicinity of an airport, and use the much less powerful (and thus, lower draw) taxi light for increased visibility during flight.
2H4 From United States of America, joined Oct 2004, 8950 posts, RR: 62 Reply 4, posted (8 years 6 months 19 hours ago) and read 2094 times:
AIRLINERS.NET CREW HEAD DATABASE EDITOR
Yeah, it's a program known as "Operation Lights On"...a voluntary pilot safety program described in the AIM designed to enhance the "see-and-avoid" requirement. "Lights On" encourages pilots to turn their lights on within 10 miles of any airport, day or night.
FinnWings From Finland, joined Oct 2003, 640 posts, RR: 3 Reply 5, posted (8 years 6 months 19 hours ago) and read 2081 times:
During the daytime I'll switch taxi/landing light on when carrying out a "prior to takeoff checklist" at the holding point of the runway. I'll keep it on until I have reported CTR outbound. When I'm approaching the airport I'll turn landing/taxi light on again approximately 1-2min before reporting CTR inbound.
It is a lot easier to identify the aircraft during daytime if they have landing lights on and if they are flying towards you. It is good way to reduce the risk for a mid-air collision in my opinion... I also use beacon, strobe and navigation lights during the daytime as well. In the night those are compulsary of course.
When approaching uncontrolled airports I'll make a call approximately 5-10 minutes before over the field and listen the frequency well advance as well to get the picture of the activity there.
I'm currently working with my Instrument rating so can't comment that part yet.
Calpilot17 From United States of America, joined Jul 2000, 109 posts, RR: 0 Reply 8, posted (8 years 5 months 3 weeks 6 days 16 hours ago) and read 1834 times:
1. Low and never use the red overhead light
2. On as the cleared for takeoff and landing gowge usual shut them off once your about 15 mile or on a airway
3.Ussually always on the ground unless their are major delays long release holds
4. 10 miles or if your haulin ass mabey 15
Cancidas From Poland, joined Jul 2003, 4112 posts, RR: 13 Reply 9, posted (8 years 5 months 3 weeks 6 days 8 hours ago) and read 1774 times:
runway lights medium intensity, regardles if its VFR or IFR. only if the cieling is pretty low do i like them high. in the cokpit i like the lights set pretty low. just enough to see everything well. never used the overheads though. for chart lighting i've got a green and yellow surefire.
landing light off during the day. will turn it on when cleared for TO and cleared for landing. once i'm handed off or in the pattern it's off too.
all flight plans opened in the air. i'll close VFR ones in the air too once i'm within about 15 nm of the airport. IFR plans i close on the ground.
with uncontrolled fields it depends. there are a few pretty heavily used ones here near NYC. a few also have the same CTAF (kinda annoying.) usually, about 10 nm out.
"...cannot the kingdom of salvation take me home."
NWA From United States of America, joined Jun 2001, 1200 posts, RR: 4 Reply 10, posted (8 years 5 months 3 weeks 6 days 8 hours ago) and read 1766 times:
Interesting views you all have. Thanks for the replies.
23 victor, turn right heading 210, maintain 3000 till established, cleared ILS runwy 24.
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