Noe wrote:
If you mean the angle Grenlights – red lights, that is exactly what the problem is.
No — not the angle but the aspect ratio between the length and the width of the runway.
I think Noe explanation works if you are using runway side/center line lights to get a sense of angle and VASI/PAPI for depth
Some airfields have only their centerline is lit with trees on the hedge (non-icao, military…), that would make night landings very interesting
Obviously on large aiports you can see clearly the ratio of the width at the end/start of the runway, the size of the terminal wich give a lot of secondary clues
Peter wrote:
Flaring is a different problem.
One trick is to look out the side window and not the front during the flare. It’s much easier to judge your height that way at night.
It’s a while since I’ve done any night flying, but when I did my training I do remember the difficulty being the last 10 feet or so rather than the rest of the approach. We did a few practice ones with no runway lights and no aircraft lights which was very strange but it was possible.
One trick is to look out the side window and not the front during the flare. It’s much easier to judge your height that way at night.
I suggest to never ever do this. You can judge the height a bit better but you risk losing directional control to the left. I did witness a massive excursion into the grass as a direct result of looking out of the left window at night. Just look into the runway far end and fly down the aircraft with a little power seem to work much better for me.
Sebastian_G wrote:
Just look into the runway far end and fly down the aircraft with a little power seem to work much better for me.
Yes that works well, keep some power or gun it with power, it settles down high nose with no drama at lightly higher speeds even with no visual clues
As long as runway length is generous, I see no point trying to do a fully stalled landing, 3-point or time your flare by night, the risk does not balance the reward: smooth landing VS 30ft Stall/CFIT/LOC, I would keep short/smooth landings for the day 
We did a few practice ones with no runway lights and no aircraft lights which was very strange but it was possible.
Is this a UK thing? The no runway lights! My original night rating in the 70’s included circuits with no aircraft landing lights (beacon and nav lights still on), but if the runway lights (and the airport just had edge lights, no approach or VASI/PAPI), were out, you would go to another airport. Even the Lysander SOE flights had a couple of lights to land on :)
RobertL18C wrote:
Is this a UK thing?
It was in the UK but I’m not sure if it’s a thing. If I remember correctly we had been doing circuits with no aircraft landing light and we got the runway lights turned off for a small number. I remember using local road light features to broadly orient myself then effectively aiming for the large dark area, There was probably a bit of moonlight as I seem to recall a small difference between the runway standing out from the totally black surroundings.
led lights probably really help avoiding the worst case senario
The black hole effect is also described as the ‘constant view approach’ angle issue.
As shown in the original post picture, it is explained that if that view, is maintained from 10k out it should not be constant, but slightly changing.
Without other visual references or diligent cross reference then the assumption of a constant visual reference of that view will lead to a very low approach and possibly undershoot.
This is more likely in a bigger jet that a swiftly recoverable single G.A. type. But any Pilot can be caught by the illusion.
It was compared ( in my IR study notes) to some of the known visual eye teasers where you see something that is explained as wrong……you understand and concurr but keep seeing the illusion despite trying no to. Ie which of the two lines is longer etc
In the case of GA, it may be considered sensible to request a downwind join and fly a semblance of a known circuit format thus introducing some know expectations. Ie 45 deg off the tail commence base and reduce power to (??) At 500ft commence turn to final etc
Black hole illusion generally relates to the long approach. Touchdown is a seperate issue.
I’ve only done a few landings at night, on a runway like the picture, so lots to learn and room for mistakes too!
Be careful out there. :-)
Yes, always with runway lights. No way to land in the dark otherwise. The FI validation flights were with aircraft lights off, but to be honest the landing light in say a PA28 is pretty useless anyway.
I still don’t get the black hole illusion. The “picture” should be constant all the way down.
