Durban night flight

Click on the link to watch the short YouTube video clip of my night landing.

The view over the cockpit of the Durban beachfront as we scoot over the sea towards the harbour

We had an amazing night flight along the Durban beachfront tonight. To keep my night rating current before taking a passenger I need to have done 5 take-offs and landings in the past 90 days. 

So while Llewellyn waited on the ground I did some circuits and improved on my landing skills. 

Initially I used full flaps but this gives you a sharper descent path. At night this is a little tricky as the illusion at night is that the land is further away from you - this is because it is so dark down there. The outcome is that you bump onto the ground before you think you should be touching down and you need to anticipate this. Changing the flaps to setting one helped me float a little longer and the landings were great thereafter. 

The night lights of Durban were stunning and clear and we just did a short flight to Umhlanga and then back to the harbour before returning to Virginia.

The Durban beachfront hotels and the piers out into the sea

The red cockpit and headlamp lights help you see better at night

The Durban stadium and beachfront as we headed past Virginia airport to the harbour

Before I could take a passenger I needed to complete 5 circuits and landings by myself - I am allowed to be a danger to myself but not to passengers ha ha

Llew takes a photo of me as I taxi in our Sling ZDL to the take-off point

Runway 05 Virginia Airport on final approach to landing