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• Fly at night in an airplane you’ve not flown recently.• Fly at night if you have any uncorrectedelectrical glitches.• Fly past a good airport if you have a problem at dusk or in full darkness.• Fly to the limit of the airplane’s fueled range at night. Landing and refueling options are reduced after hours, and you may need to fly farther to make it to an alternate airport.• Fly after a full day of work unless you get some real rest before departure. You need to know you won’t be too fatigued, not only at takeoff, but also at the end of your night flight.Do:• Plan a night VFR trip as if you were planning for IFR, including routes and minimum altitudes for each flight segment, alternate airports, and added fuel reserves.• Use checklists, even when you are comfortable in the airplane. Complacency can be worse at night, when it’s harder to see.• Actively monitor electrical load and alternator/ generator output throughout the flight. Divert and land at the nearest suitable airport at the first sign of an electrical problem.• Crosscheck instruments and their power source indicators frequently, and land quickly if a failure occurs.• Check “fuel remaining” for your destination regularly. Divert and land at the nearest suitable airport if fuel reserves drop below limits.• Perform a “blind cockpit check” before takeoff. While sitting in the cockpit, be able to touch any indicator or control without looking. Develop this level of comfort with the airplane before you fly it at night.• Practice emergency checklists. It’s even harder to use a printed emergency checklist in the dark.• Cancel any night flight when you are not completely confident both you and the airplane are airworthy.Disorientation in the DarkThe common practice of taking off and picking up an IFR clearance in the air can be extremely hazardous in the dark, especially in marginal conditions. Here’s an example from the NTSB:The pilot of a multiengine airplane contacted tower controllers to obtain an IFR clearance for a nighttime departure. Marginal visual flight rules conditions prevailed, with ceilings 1,000 broken, 1,700 overcast, and six miles’ visibility. The controller was not able to access the flight plan information and requested thatJTA Jerry Temple Aviation Inc. Half Page4/C AdNOVEMBER 2016TWIN & TURBINE • 23