Hello all,

I had posted this topic and somehow dissapeared. I want your advice on night landings on taildraggers. How much harder is it to land at night vs daylight operations.

Rgs,

Patrick

I usually land with my eyes closed. So, for me, appreciable difference.




Seriously, though. Assuming a lighted runway environment, Not much difference in my experience.

Hi Patrick-

I have never thought of night vs. day operations in conventional gear aircraft as being significantly more challenging than night vs. day operations in tricycle gear aircraft.

Regards,

Bob

if you are worried about it it just means not enough time in the saddle. IMHO

About the only phenomena I have seen in the Carbon Cub is that after wheeling it on (my preferred night technique) once the tail goes down the landing light goes up...and does a lovely job of lighting up the birds overhead...a slight exaggeration, but a real event. Otherwise, the airplane doesn't have any idea if it is day or night. Lighted runway enviornments are easy.

Jim

What Tom and Jim said. Cancelling any sideways drift can be a little tougher, depending on the lighting and how good your night vision is. Depending on the plane, that could be an issue, or it could be a not very big deal at all.

Hopefully the plane has a well-aimed taxi light to help out when you're on 3 wheels.

I usually wheel land at night in the C185 and once the tail drop follow the runway lights on the pilot side to keep yourself align on the runway.

Often the winds and pattern are nice and calm at night so I always found it easy to make super stable approaches and just concentrate, eyes focused at the far end and you'll nail it. Its almost easier since there is less visual distraction of all sorts of other shiny things tickling your peripheral vision.

Agree on the wheel landings for me personally. I like to solve one problem at a time... Fly to the runway... going the same direction as the runway... then solve the vertical component with a gentle pin and then work the tail down. Its worked for me a couple thousand times (fewer at night admittedly).

Tj