Night Currency

Went for a quick flight last night to maintain my night currency.  Chose a quiet cool evening with a nearly full moon and high scattered clouds.  Could not have been more perfect.  Took off right at 30 minutes past sundown and flew to Pitt Meadows.

Two of landings were stinkers, one was an actual wheelbarrow, but three were acceptable.  The night illusion of flaring high was a very real problem for me.  Of course, even with new LED landing lights, you cannot see the pavement until very late.  If I waited to flare until seeing the pavement it is basically too late, and that is what led to my wheelbarrow touch and go.

There was some other traffic coming and going at Pitt.  There was a 180 in the circuit that I had to slow down for.  Nothing much going on but I did once have to keep a circuit in tight and I perhaps kept it in too tight.

Returning to Langley (after the tower was closed) was much quieter.  No one about and a lovely smooth landing.  I performed the whole sequence:  over the field at 1,500, descend to 1,000 upwind, cross wind over the field, and join down-wind left for 19.  The narrower runway there seemed to set my flare up much better.

And now I'm good for night passengers for the summer!