I was so impressed by the night cross-country flight that I decided to describe it separately. In Silicon Valley the dense development leaves almost no open land, so the valley is entirely ablaze with lights at night. My emotions after takeoff can be described with just one word: “WOW”! It felt like I had entered a computer game with stunning graphics! As we gained altitude, the view became even more spectacular. All the major transportation arteries of the valley were vividly illuminated. According to the plan, we were to land at another airport, and then, without parking, immediately depart and fly back.
For our destination, we chose the fairly large Fresno Yosemite International Airport, located an hour’s flight southeast of Reid-Hillview. This airport primarily serves regular flights from nearby cities and states, and has a few international flights to Mexico. So there we were, in sequence behind jet airliners, preparing to land in our little Cessna 172.
We planned the night flight with extra care. It was important to identify visual landmarks that could be distinguished at night. For example, one such landmark was the federal maximum-security prison Atwater. The incredibly bright lighting of its control area can be seen from 50 miles away. The instructor joked: “If the engine fails, land anywhere except on the prison grounds”. It’s known that some of the most dangerous criminals serve their sentences there.
Fresno Airport is located in the neighboring Central Valley, which required us to cross a mountain range. This was one of the most treacherous sections of the route. The mountains are not illuminated and often blend into the sky at night, making it nearly impossible to find a suitable spot for an emergency landing. A reliable landmark in the mountains is a road, which can also serve as a potential landing strip in case of an emergency. Additionally, roads typically run through the lowest parts of the passes, ensuring a safer route over the mountains.
Night flights have their advantages, such as the ability to easily spot the strobes of other airplanes in the dark sky. However, distinguishing the airport among all the lights on the ground can be challenging. Airports use special beacons directed into the sky, and by observing the frequency and color of the flashes, you can determine the type of airfield. For example, alternating white and green flashes indicate a civilian land airport.
The runway at Fresno was enormous for our plane — 9,360 feet long and 150 feet wide! The airport wasn’t very busy at night, so there was no queue for landing. It was my first time landing at such a large airport. Immediately after touchdown, we requested clearance for the return flight, and the ground controller gave us taxiing instructions. While we were taxiing, I saw large airliners with passengers on board preparing for departure. It was exciting to be, in some sense, on par with them!
We took off from Fresno and returned using the same route. At our airport, the control tower had already closed for the night, so we made the landing autonomously. Additionally, to save electricity, the runway lights are turned off by a timer, but any pilot can turn them on remotely from the airplane. You just need to click the transmitter button on the right frequency. You can even adjust the brightness of the lights. It looks very impressive when you “light up” the runway in front of you.
The story continues in Part 7— 100% on Written Exam
All Links:
Part 1 — Russian Origins
Part 2 — New Page in America
Part 3 — First Flights with the Instructor
Part 4 — First Solo Flight
Part 5 — Cross-Country Flights
Part 6 — Night Flight
Part 7–100% on Written Exam
Part 8 — Checkride and I am a pilot!
