- Night Flying (Terbang Malam) -

Date: From 25 Nov 2010 to 6 Dec 2010
Time : 7:45 P.M. to 10:00 P.M.

NF 1, 2, 4 and 9 : With instructor (Dual)

NF 6 : With instructor (P1 under supervision)

NF 3, 5, 7, 8 and 10 : Solo

Exercise : Circuit and holding at Kota Bharu Town

+ Radio Failure + Land without landing light

Night flying is one of the part of our flying course..
From 145 flying hours for single engine, 10 of that was night flying hours..
All the senior who already finish night flying tell me that night flying is the best moment from the whole part in flying..
I'm not sure why they say that..
This time, will be my turn to know the reality..
I will find it myself..
At that moment my flying hours is about 115 hours..
Plus 10 hours night flying, it should be 125 hours..
The regulation at the hangar..
If we have sortie at the morning until 1 P.M, we need to report at the hangar at 7:00 A.M.
Sortie after 1 P.M. until 5 P.M. , need to report at 11 A.M.
For night flying, we need to report at 2 P.M.
But sometimes we disregard the rules..
You know what I mean right..
Sometimes we just only appear at the hangar at 5 P.M.
At we start our night flying at 8 P.M.
But we need to be here before 6 because we have night flying briefing at 6 P.M.

Normally there's only 2 instructor and 4-5 student..
Just us..
Thats the sign why we say night flying is the best moment..
We conquer the hangar..
No other student that sometimes disturb your eyes..
Just us..
The briefing is just a short brief..
Only about 15-20 minutes..
Then, we free to do anything before start to fly..
Normally, we went out and have our dinner before Maghrib prayer..
So we go out and have something to eat..
Normally makan nasik lah..
After finish our dinner, we walk to our hangar..

Biasanya dah masuk waktu maghrib..
Kami terus ke surau dan solat..
Perform our prayer..
As a slave to Allah Taala..

My first night flying sortie with Capt Dhany..
Have I mention about him in my previous post??
His the best instructor at our academy..
Sangat suka fly dengan dia..
He's nice instructor..
But I will not take any advantage for his kindness..
I still do the best..
Like fly with other instructor..
I take my things and walk to the aircraft after make sure all the tech log and auto sheet have been signed..
I make one last inspection, walk around the aircraft and use my torchlight..
We already preflight the aircraft after finish our briefing just before going out for a lunch..
After satisfied with everything, I put off my feet from the ground and take my seat in the aircraft..
And start with my checklist..
Then continue with Radio Call..
Only tower frequency active at night..

Me: Kota Bharu Tower, this is APAC 12, Assalamualaikum..
Tower: APAC 12, Waalaikumussalam, Kota Bharu Tower, go ahead..
Me: APAC 12 request start up for circuit and landing, POB 02, endurance 5 hours in 9M-NRG, with information Mike copied, QNH 1009..
Tower: APAC 12, start approve..
Me: Start approve APAC 12..

And continue with run up..
I do the departure and take off brief and ready for taxi..

Me: Tower, APAC 12 request taxi..
Tower: APAC 12, taxi to holding point Charlie..
Me: Taxi to holding point Charlie, APAC 12..

Switch on and off the taxi light..
To attract their attention and to show them that we are ready to taxi out the aircraft..
Then show chocks off to the marshaller..
During the night, it quote dark even we have the spotlight lighting the apron..

Still not enough for us to see in front..
So we really need the marshaller to taxi..
Passing the marshaller, I switch on the taxi light..
At holding point Charlie..

Me: Tower, APAC 12 at holding point Charlie..
Tower: APAC 12, back track line up runway 10..
Me: Back track up runway 10, APAC 12..

While entering the runway, I on the strobe light and landing light..
Normally during day light, we switch on at the apron..
But during night flying we can't on the strobe light at the apron..
Because the strobe light was so bright and might give temporary blind to the others who was near with our aircraft..

And we are ready on the runway..

Me: Tower, APAC 12 ready on line up..

Tower: APAC 12, climb 1000 ft for circuit and landing, right turn clear for take off..
Me: Climb 1000 ftfor circuit and landing, right turn clear for take off, APAC 12..

I advance the power to 50 %..
Check everything in good condition..
Release the break and advance power to 100 %..

59 knot, rotate..

There is one thing special about night flying..

Once our aircraft leave the ground, we call..
"APAC 12, airborne"..
To acknowledge the ATC that we already leave the ground..
For every take off..
Even for touch n go..

We need to call..
It because if any aircraft on final during that time, the ATC will give them clearance to land or touch n go..

No such as land one on during night flying..

No acceptance for that..
We need to clear the runway as soon as possible to allow the other to do touch n go or land the aircraft..

Normally, we turn right and continue to downwind at 500 ft..
But for night flying we turn at 800 ft..

Why that so??
I'm not sure..

They have their own reason to do that..
I just a follower..

For the spacing, still the same..
But during night, quite hard to judge..

So, we have a formula..

Magic formula..

"When on downwind position, all of you can see one green light on the ground.. That is Petronas station.. Roughly at Mid downwind.. Take it as your guidance, not a reference.. Your reference still the runway relative to your aircraft"

But for this moment, I don't care..
I take the Petronas Station as my reference..
I mention that??
Haha..
Don't worry, I already finish my night flying..

Me: Tower, APAC 12 downwind for touch n go..
Tower: APAC 12, clear for approach report final..
Me: Clear for approach report final APAC 12..

During final..

Me: APAC 12, final for touch n go..
Tower: APAC 12 clear touch n go, right turn..
Me: Clear touch n go, right turn , APAC 12..

Okey..
This is the critical part..
For the first time I will land the aircraft in the dark..
The runway light is bright enough to show you where is the runway..
But not good enough to show you the runway like you see in daylight..
Its not same like the road light..
That brighten the road until you can see small pieces of rubbish on it..
Its all about judgement..
As per normal..
Our zikir..
"Aiming point, airspeed, centreline"

Capt Dhany: Look at the PAPI light.. Aim for 3 reds one white.. Normally big aircraft aim for 2 red and 2 white.. Because their aiming point is at 1000 foot marker.. Our aiming point still at the threshold.. Its hard for you too see the threshold at night.. So initially rely to the PAPI light.. Until you can see the threshold..
Me: Okey sir.. (And continue with my zikir)..
Capt Dhany: I will not assist you.. You do it yourself..
Me: Erkk.. Insya Allah sir.. I try (crack in my voice)..

And I know, he smile at me..
Dont worry..
He give the chance to do it myself..
Approaching the runway, I can see the threshold..
They said, at night your judgement a bit rusty..
You feel your aircraft already low..
But actually, you are still high..
We tend to round out and flare early..
And the effect is your landing part..
Will be a bit rough..
So I aim for the threshold..
Until I'm low enough..
I round out and flare..
Th speed decrease and aircraft start to sink..
At the moment I ready to absorb the impact..
Because my landing part is the worse in my flying..
But the, the aircraft touchdown a bit ok than my daylight flying..
Woh..
Thumbs up from Capt Dhany..
I smile to myself..
Now I know why they said night flying is the best..
I settle down the aircraft, put it on take off configuration..
Then airborne again..

"APAC 12, airborne"
We continue with 2 more circuit..
Hold only once..
And the last part..

Me: APAC 12, downwind to land..
Tower: APAC 12, clear for approah report final..
Me: Clear for approach report final, APAC 12..

Aproaching late downwind..

Capt Dhany: Tower, APAC 12..
Tower: APAC 12, go ahead..
Capt Dhany: If possible request PAPI light off on final..
Tower: APAC 12, roger..

Me: Alamak..
Apa pulak dia nak suruh aku buat ni (berbisik dlm hati)..
Capt Dhany: Haa.. Tadi kau land guna PAPI kan.. Kali ni aku nak kau land tak guna PAPI.. Nak tengok macam mana kau buat..
Me: Err.. Ok sir.. Saya cuba.. Kalau ada pape kang, sir take control ye..
Capt Dhany: Hahaha (Yes, he laugh)..

Turning final from right base..
Yes, no PAPI light..
They switch off it..
Alamak..
Habislah aku kali ni..
Bak kata Encik Nasir, "Nasib engkau lah"..

Me: APAC 12 turning final to land..
Tower: APAC 12, surface wind light and variable, clear to land..
Me: Clear to land APAC 12..

And then Capt Dhany advice me about my height..
A bit low, sometimes a bit high..
Struggle to have the correct height..
Approaching threshold, round out and flare..
And then I realise I round out to much..
The aircraft balloon..
The speed decrease..
He ask me to add the power..
Quickly I add the power..
And, "gedegang"..
Still manage to land the aircraft..
Hard than normal..
"Aduh, sakit pinggang"..

Me: Adoi, sorilah sir.. Part last ni pulak yang spoil.. Ni sebab takde PAPI light la sir..
Capt Dhany: Ahh.. Banyklah kau punya alasan.. Nak cover konon..
Then we laugh..

Tower: APAC 12, vacate Charlie for dispersal..
Me: Vacate Charlie for dispersal, APAC 12..

We vacate the runway..

Me: Tower, APAC 12 vacating the runway via Charlie for dispersal.. Selamat malam.. Assalamualaikum..
Tower: Selamat malam.. Waalaikumussalam..

Continue taxi to the apron..
Park breaks on and shut down..
Finish my first night flying..
Alhamdulillah..
Amazing..
Nice..
Everything appear in my mind..

IAnd we went home..
I'm looking forward to fly night flying again..
Still have 9 sorties to go..
A lot..
And will continue in the next post..
Insya Allah..
Lets fly, high to the sky..