Feb 25 2008
Night Flying
Last night I finally completed my dual night cross country flight that I have been waiting so long to do. The weather was great; the sky was clear and the air was very smooth. I planned out a flight from Grand Forks (KGFK) to Fergus Falls (KFFM), then to Fargo (KFAR) and back to Grand Forks. I had done this flight during the day and was excited to see what it would look like at night. I arrived at the airport at 6:30 for the 7:30 flight. I brought a friend with me to observe the flight. I arrived with performance/weight and balance done and ready to go. I met with my instructor and we flight the flight plans and discussed the flight objectives (something we had discussed 6 times already) then ran out to the plane. The plane was in a hanger so I got to stay warm during the preflight. That only lasted for a few minutes though. Line service needed to tow our plane to the ramp, so the preflight stopped a little over halfway through. Being that I was preflighting inside a warm hanger, I left my gloves inside the airplane. We walked from the hanger and met the airplane on the ramp. It was -20 degrees outside and my hands were freezing. By the time I finished the preflight my hands were completely numb. I jumped into the airplane and simultaneously warmed up my hands while completing the before engine start checklist. The plane actually started this time! With all the checks done we taxied out and took off. The flight was pretty uneventful. It was a lot of fun though. The approach into Fargo was one of the coolest I have ever flown. The airport it pretty much surrounded by city lights, it’s really beautiful, and it reminded me why I love flying so much. After arriving back at Grand Forks I did a few landings in the traffic pattern. The landings were fine, with the exception of the last one. My instructor insisted that I didn’t flare soon enough. He actually pulled the yoke back while we were approaching the runway. We ballooned up quite a few feet then settled down smoothly. I didn’t agree with my instructor at the time. I figured that he was a little over protective but, now I think he’s probably right. I suppose he knows what he’s doing—he’s got quite a few more hours than me. 
I’ve got quite a few solo flights coming up so hopefully I can start taking some pictures!!!