Helicopter Training Flight # 25 - Night cross country, reporting fire threatening homes & more...

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• published: 28 Jul 2016
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25th helicopter training flight in an R22. Night cross country & reporting a fire threatening houses and more... Click "SHOW MORE" below for a list of quick jump links notes, tips, etc. 01:00 use taxiways and stay on center lines to avoid hidden obstacles at night 02:00 hover a bit higher due to reduced depth perception and illusions 02:40 don't forget to properly clear both directions before taking a runway, even at night 03:50 difference between stop and go versus touch and go 04:10 good habit to only takeoff and land on runways (not taxiways) at night due to the guaranteed clearance of runways 06:40 pilot controlled lighting 07:00 verify correct runway using compass 07:15 try not to stare at the spotlight on the ground - look down the runway 07:35 stay aligned with runway centerline until at safe altitude (500' AGL) 08:30 gauge check before leaving pattern 08:40 discussion on engine failure at night - fly higher than normal and aim for well lit areas 10:05 turn cockpit lighting down as eyes adjust to the darkness to have better night vision outside the cockpit 11:05 open VFR flight plan with McMinnville Radio (FSS) 14:40 check actual needle positions of temperatures and pressures once in cruise to identify any trends 15:55 the hazards of flying over unlit areas at night -even with a full moon and clear skies you can have problems identifying terrain and horizon 17:15 fly high and over the roads to help avoid unseen terrain 17:35 takes 30 minutes for eyes to adapt to night 18:20 plan night cross country altitudes using highest terrain in the area (maximum elevation figure - MEF on sectional charts) 18:45 turn on landing light when approaching airports or other traffic to help find each other 19:35 looking for airport beacon at night (green and white) 20:10 activating pilot controlled lights 20:20 stay high (at least pattern attitude) until aligned with runway and then use PAPI/VASI if they have one (good to brief airport in advance) 22:40 aim to land further down runway to keep best clearance in case of too low approach due to illusions etc 23:05 try to put a distance to 'extended' calls - 3 mile extended final 25:00 make the approach slow and to a slightly higher hover at night and try not to focus on the landing light 25:35 'closed traffic' means staying in the pattern 26:15 climb to at least traffic pattern altitude while still over the 'safe' runway before turning into darkness 28:40 above 60-70 kts the vertical stabilizer will keep the aircraft mostly in trim if you step off the pedals 31:00 getting VFR flight following (traffic advisories) from Seattle Center 31:10 you can ask FSS like McMennville Radio for radio frequencies 36:20 traffic alert - ideal phraseology is "negative contact" rather than "looking for traffic" 37:30 monitor temperature and dew point spread to predict fog forming on clear nights over the high desert 40:00 once on with ATC (center, approach, tower etc) don't change frequency (with some exceptions) without request/notify 42:10 how does airspace change when a tower closes? E or G 44:00 at night it is easy to accidentally knock a radio volume knob as you reach down in the dark to do something else 49:20 requesting temporary frequency change 50:45 head to 'safe' area of airport rather than cutting corners over unlit terrain 52:35 adjust pilot controlled lighting to lowest intensity when on final (3 clicks) 1:01:30 jump in video to nearer Madras (to save camera battery) 1:06:50 pilot controlled lighting should stay on 15 minutes 1:08:15 reading a VASI white over white, etc 1:11:45 taxiway hold lines 1:13:20 startup at Madras after stopping for fuel 1:14:10 tailwind takeoff - experience the symptoms 1:18:13 jump in video to nearer Redmond (to save camera battery) 1:18:30 VFR traffic advisories 1:29:25 MALSR - medium intensity approach lighting system with runway alignment indicator lights 1:32:00 find a road to follow over unlit areas 1:36:40 have runways numbers of intended destinations on kneeboard 1:37:30 again, don't be tempted to fly direct to an airport once sighted at night, consider what is between you 1:40:50 memorize pre-landing checklist 1:42:45 PAPI gives protection out to 4 miles within 10 degrees of centerline on glide slope 1:52:00 checking back in with the lovely sounding controller at Seattle Center for ft traffic advisories 1:53:30 jump in video to nearer Bend (to save camera battery) 2:00:20 full moon may be below the horizon 2:00:40 student spots fire next to houses 2:08:40 911 on cell phone to local dispatch is best way to get all the info passed on directly. But if unable to use phone through headset, contact ATC to report the fre 2:11:20 get as much night time, especially cross country night as you can. - some jobs require 100 and some as high as 250 night hours - and it is very hard to get outside of the flight school