Lesson 20: Hey, who turned out the lights?!
07/19/2007 Filed in: Flying
Thursday - 07/19/07
Hot diggity dog I'm in a good mood as I drive to the school tonight! It's my first night lesson, which is something I've looked forward to for a long time now. Especially after the great evening lesson I had with CFI2 last month...
I'm expecting tonight to be a little more difficult due to the, you know, lack of light. Other than that minor detail, I'm expecting a calm, clear, peaceful learning experience in which I can openly soak up the aviation skills necessary for me to someday qualify for social security and cheap movie tickets.
It is with regret that I inform you, gentle reader, that expectations and reality often diverge alarmingly. Tonight, for example.
Before I set out for the school, I reviewed all the night illusions and various notes I had on night flight. I also snagged my trusty DeWalt flashlight. I figure it will serve two purposes in that I can see in the dark with it, and I can use it to beat CFI1 when he begins to fail things on me in the aircraft. I like to be prepared.
When I arrive I check the weather while waiting on CFI1. There is a *nasty* line of storms just north of us at the KY border. It looks like the storms are too busy feasting on other prey to notice us, so we decide to keep a low profile and play dead if and when it becomes necessary.
CFI1 comes over during the preflight and begins quizzing me on different aspects of night vision and such. I answer most of it fairly well and we hop in. As we do so, he brings up an important topic...
CFI1: So I notice we're scheduled to fly from 7-9am tomorrow.
Me: Yeah, I wanted to talk to you about that. Go ahead...
CFI1: No, what were you going to say?
Me: I was going to say let's scrap it.
CFI1: Thank God. I thought you were one of those 3 hours is enough sleep kind of guys.
Me: Uh, no.
I'm a morning person, but I have my limits.
As I prepare everything in the cabin, I don my new Lightspeed Mach 1.c in-the-ear headset. I just got it two days ago and I'm looking forward to trying it out for the second time tonight. It is around this time that things begin their gradual descent into the realm of distractor-induced discomfort.
Next on the list, I note that there's a nice 8-10kt steady crosswind with gusts to maybe 15 or so. Normally I'd be thrilled about this. Tonight it adds unnecessary stress to an already daunting task - not dying in the dark.
But wait! Order now and you'll receive a non-backlit set of airplane instruments! Oh sure, you can vaguely make out what might be an arrow or a little airplane by the 4 lumen dome light placed above and behind your head. Let not your heart be troubled!
To me this looks like a perfect prologue to an NTSB report. But I'm a trooper. I press on.
I taxi out onto the runway and actually perform a very nice crosswind takeoff.
CFI1: Excellent crosswind takeoff.
It's about this time that I realize that, while I'd love to give him some smarmy, clever acknowledgment (my own style of accepting compliments), I'm not able to do so. It seems that the microphone boom for my headset has traveled 2 inches to the left of where I last placed it and speaking will require a third hand to reach up and put it back where it will pick up my voice.
In my wisdom, I elect not to focus on the growth of said third hand, but rather to wait until a less critical moment of flight to reach up and coerce the headset farther into my ear and the boom back in speaking range.
Adding to my trouble on takeoff, I notice that the rudder pedals are too close (they're adjustable in the DA20). This means that I have more bend in my right leg than usual, which means I cannot just stiff-leg the right rudder pedal on takeoff.
It's kind of like doing a one-legged leg press except you just hold the weight at about 80% of the leg's full extended range. Just until you reach pattern altitude though. My quads were nearing the stage of mutiny on the first pattern.
I wonder briefly on downwind if CFI1 would fail something on the first trip around but dismiss the thought. Surely he's not that cruel, as I've already got my hands full with the crosswind, the headset and my numb right leg. Oh yeah, and I still don't really know where the end of the runway is. Another minor detail. Please God, don't let him be that cruel.
Thankfully, he's not, and I, to the great surprise of all involved, perform an unremarkable crosswind landing (I'll take it!). I've officially logged my first night landing. Er, one thing though...I totally forgot my landing flow. This is why we train in fixed gear aircraft. Oops.
Next trip around is less eventful except that on upwind I see lightning in the (far) distance. This is the stuff in KY. Except it's now in TN. Apparently it's devoured everything there and is still not satiated.
I reach up and fix my microphone again, make some radio calls, and wish in vain for a fourth hand to massage that damn right quad. This is getting silly.
The next landing is actually quite good, one of my best ever, not just at night. But I can't take anymore of the headset, so I pull off on the taxiway while CFI1 looks on very confused.
I pound my left ear until the insert is flush with my brain and forcefully push the microphone to my mouth. Where it will stay. Or I shall kill it.
As I'm pulling back up to the runway, I hear a buddy of mine enter the pattern in his Baron after a very long haul. We chat briefly and he asks me to score his landing.
Me: Uh... it was a little long. Was that on purpose?
Him: Of course, I was trying to get out of your way!
Me: Ok then, nice job!
Him: Be careful on final tonight... those gusts are tricky.
Me: Yeah, roger that.
As I take off, I fix my microphone!!! and divulge to CFI1 my level of discomfort.
Me: I'll be honest, I'm a nervous wreck tonight.
CFI1: <genuine incredulity> Really??
Me: Yeah, I've got way too many distractions.
As I say this, I realize I forgot to reset the damn rudder pedals. Shit! Man that leg hurts, but I'm not stopping again. I will simply live with the pain or maybe beat the other one with my DeWalt flashlight in an effort to confuse the nerve endings and equalize them in my brain.
The next few trips around are somewhat uneventful except that CFI1 has to completely take over the radio because the headset is still moving around on me. It is simply not safe for me to keep reaching up and fixing it while my workload is this high. I am already envisioning the satisfaction of requesting that RMA number.
Predictably CFI1 begins to fail things. My landing and taxi lights failed without my noticing. That's a good thing. I think.
He then kills my flaps, which I notice right away. I meant to give him a playful evil look but I must have overdone it.
CFI1: Uh, you ok with that?
Me: Yeah, I just kinda wanted to hit you.
CFI1: That's what it looked like!
I assure him it's not a real problem and I land uneventfully.
Next trip around, hey whaddya know... my engine "died".
CFI1: You knew it was coming.
Me: Yep.
I take no chances with this whole not being able to see business and get over the runway asap. I slip down and land quite lightly.
There are a few other unremarkable patterns and we finally do a full stop and call it a night.
So here's my list of beefs with this night, in order of suck:
1) Headset
2) Crosswind w/ gusts (strongest I've flown in actually)
3) Rudder pedals too close
4) Non-backlit instruments
5) Storms taunting me on upwind
6) Lack of sunlight
Honestly, I feel like a huge baby crying about the above items. However, I do take one very positive thing away from the lesson: Despite all that stuff trying to screw me over, I actually performed very well the entire night. I think that's why CFI1 was so surprised when I told him how stressed I was.
So that's it... things don't always go as we envision they will. At this point I don't know whether to look forward to the night cross country or dread it. I'm leaning toward the latter.
There is one other important thing I took away from the lesson tonight. I intend to view my PPL night training like I view the PPL instrument training - for emergencies only. Like, if I happen to accidentally stray into a cloud or a total solar eclipse.
To me, the added danger of night flight at this point in my flying career represents too great a risk. But then again, I'm a big baby. And my leg hurts, damn it.
Logged: 1.1 and 8 night landings
Comments
MovingTarget
Member
Registered: Mar 2007
Location: Henderson, NV
Posts: 59
Another great write-up Sys.
I am sort of dreading night flight. Not around Las Vegas itself --lord knows there's enough light here for six cities-- but the long flights over large expanses of empty, open desert.
__________________
"Tongue tied and twisted, just an earth-bound misfit, I" - Pink Floyd
Jeff S KDTW
Patent Pending
Registered: Jan 2003
Location: Flying at Mach 0.30
Posts: 7794
Jeff -
A question:
As to the rudder pedal adjustment, spoken from someone who has never flown a DA20), couldn't you adjust it on a taxiway by asking the instructor to take over the plane (i.e. hold his brakes) while you "fix" the problem?
A couple comments:
I wouldn't dismiss the improperly adjusted rudder pedals so quickly next time and continue to fly with it. We are creatures of habit and it is important to set up the cockpit so that things can be accomplished from training-memory rather than conscious thought. In other words, should you have experienced an unexpected crosswind gust at a critical time, it would be better to already know how much leg travel is necessary to get that predetermined rudder deflection to achieve the same corrective result you have done 100 times before. By not having the pedals at the same distance as you are used to, you had to spend a lot of time "thinking" about rudder control and ... leg pain. It wasn't a huge issue on Thursday night, but in the future that could be just another thing that is distracting enough to you to overload you. (I think you already know this...but your threads are so good for making the point to others that are simply lurking. )
Is it me or did you not like the Mach 1? (you've saved me from investigating it again in the next 6 months. By the way, try a pair of Bose..... )
If I haven't said it before, love the write-ups.
__________________
Personal Photo/Aviation Website|FARs|AIM|AC|PCG|FAA Opinions
Sysvr4
Senior Member
Registered: May 2007
Location: KMQY
Posts: 150
Originally posted by MovingTarget
Another great write-up Sys.
I am sort of dreading night flight. Not around Las Vegas itself --lord knows there's enough light here for six cities-- but the long flights over large expanses of empty, open desert.
I do not envy you. My understanding is that in Europe you must be instrument rated to fly at night (I have not confirmed this). There is some debate about that here. I'll let you know to which side of the debate I'm partial after my night CC Monday night...
FWIW, large expanses of dark desert, I think, are exactly the type of conditions that fuel the IR side of that debate. You should just buzz Bellagio instead...
Jeff
Sysvr4
Senior Member
Registered: May 2007
Location: KMQY
Posts: 150
Originally posted by Jeff S KDTW
As to the rudder pedal adjustment, spoken from someone who has never flown a DA20), couldn't you adjust it on a taxiway by asking the instructor to take over the plane (i.e. hold his brakes) while you "fix" the problem?
Yeah, I could have. I just did not want to take the additional time to pull off to the taxiway (again), undo the seatbelts, fix the pedals, taxi back over, hold short, and finally go. In retrospect, I probably should have done so.
I wouldn't dismiss the improperly adjusted rudder pedals so quickly next time and continue to fly with it.
I think you are absolutely right. When something is not exactly as we expect it, it's a distraction. Have I mentioned how much I hate those? Now I know how Rainman felt when there was no TV for Wapner that day.
Is it me or did you not like the Mach 1? (you've saved me from investigating it again in the next 6 months. By the way, try a pair of Bose..... )
Well, no, in fact, I give it at least one thumbs down Here's the thing though, I think it's just the anatomy of my ear canal which perhaps has an odd angle to it with respect to the chord to my mouth. It might actually work for you. I'm also not sure that the custom ear molds wouldn't fix this problem, but I don't want to spend another $100 to find out and then be out of the 30 day return period.
That said, I'm apparently not the only one. It's a shame that I found this thread only after I'd ordered mine.
There are other things about it that bug me mildly though. For instance, it takes a minute or two to pull it out of the case, untangle the wires you unceremoniously jammed into the case after your last flight, and actually insert it all into your cranium. I think I've found I like the convenience of just plug and go.
Lastly, I have had headsets for my cellphone that were somewhat like this and they have tended to be rather susceptible to damage on the thinly insulated cords. So I also have durability concerns with the set. These concerns may or may not have any actual merit.
As for the Bose, I nearly ordered a set but apparently (and inexplicably) there is no cell phone or audio input. Now, I don't intend to blather on to my buddies while I'm flying, but it was really nice to be able to check a distant ASOS and file my flight plan from the left seat with the press of a button with the Lightspeed.
I ordered a Telex Stratus 50D based on Philip Greenspun's recommendation. It, supposedly, has better passive *and* active noise cancellation than the Bose and is, subjectively, as comfortable. I'll let you know when I get it.
If I haven't said it before, love the write-ups.
Thank you kindly, and if I haven't said so, I appreciate the comments you add as one of the experienced fliers on the board!
Jeff
soulie13
Senior Member
Registered: Feb 2006
Location: KHEF
Posts: 364
This seems to be my tip for what ails everyone this week. Take A Deep Breath. Night flight is different. It presents us with a smaller window for error should things go wrong. It presents us with challenges for planning and executing XC flight. It makes us use different visual clues during landing.
However, when all of that is taken into consideration, night flying offers us one of the most amazing experiences that a student can have.
In a moderately developed area, you are almost always going to have enough light from the ground to have a horizon, and to have visual clues as to where you are. Everyone makes the IFR joke(I Fly Roads), but it is a perfectly reasonable approach.
Question - what's up with the backlighting on your instruments? The DA20 I trained in had the lights backlit. Sitting on the numbers about to power up for my first night flight felt like we were on a carrier deck in a fighter. I can't wait for the days to get shorter so I can do some night flying again.
__________________
PP-ASEL
5/22/2007
Jeff S KDTW
Patent Pending
Registered: Jan 2003
Location: Flying at Mach 0.30
Posts: 7794
Originally posted by Sysvr4
As for the Bose, I nearly ordered a set but apparently (and inexplicably) there is no cell phone or audio input. Now, I don't intend to blather on to my buddies while I'm flying, but it was really nice to be able to check a distant ASOS and file my flight plan from the left seat with the press of a button with the Lightspeed.
That's the exact reason why my wife and daughters use the Lightspeed (3G 30 -- Mom; 3G 20 -- Kids)--so they can plug in iPods/Handheld Games, and cellphones.
Personally, as the pilot, I can not give up the comfort of the Bose for the cellphone input (we have an input into the Garmin audio panel for the iPod). I won't use the cellphone much, if all, with the engines idling (at 10 gph ) and I've found the Bose to be more comfortable than the Lightspeed.
Good luck in finding the headset that fits your cranium--it is always a personal choice.
__________________
Personal Photo/Aviation Website|FARs|AIM|AC|PCG|FAA Opinions
nathan42100
Student Pilot-Lesson 4
Registered: Jul 2007
Location: KHPN
Posts: 111
Once again, great writeup!
Freeski
Student Instructor
Registered: Mar 2005
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 746
Re: Lesson 20: Hey, who turned out the lights?!
Originally posted by Sysvr4
I'm a morning person, but I have my limits.
That is a great attitude. Nothing worse than pilot fatigue.
Flying at night can be quite beautiful - even with instruments that have faulty backlights! I've had that happen many times, and although it can be a real PITA, if you look at the bright side (pun intended), the stars pronounce themselves (on clear nights anyways). It can really be breathtaking at times.
Now, there have been a few dreadful night flights that I have experienced. However, with the few dreadful night training flights, I overcame a couple possible dangerous situations.
Anyway, before I get too far off topic, great write-up once again and do your best to look forward to that night XC. I think you will really enjoy it!
Hot diggity dog I'm in a good mood as I drive to the school tonight! It's my first night lesson, which is something I've looked forward to for a long time now. Especially after the great evening lesson I had with CFI2 last month...
I'm expecting tonight to be a little more difficult due to the, you know, lack of light. Other than that minor detail, I'm expecting a calm, clear, peaceful learning experience in which I can openly soak up the aviation skills necessary for me to someday qualify for social security and cheap movie tickets.
It is with regret that I inform you, gentle reader, that expectations and reality often diverge alarmingly. Tonight, for example.
Before I set out for the school, I reviewed all the night illusions and various notes I had on night flight. I also snagged my trusty DeWalt flashlight. I figure it will serve two purposes in that I can see in the dark with it, and I can use it to beat CFI1 when he begins to fail things on me in the aircraft. I like to be prepared.
When I arrive I check the weather while waiting on CFI1. There is a *nasty* line of storms just north of us at the KY border. It looks like the storms are too busy feasting on other prey to notice us, so we decide to keep a low profile and play dead if and when it becomes necessary.
CFI1 comes over during the preflight and begins quizzing me on different aspects of night vision and such. I answer most of it fairly well and we hop in. As we do so, he brings up an important topic...
CFI1: So I notice we're scheduled to fly from 7-9am tomorrow.
Me: Yeah, I wanted to talk to you about that. Go ahead...
CFI1: No, what were you going to say?
Me: I was going to say let's scrap it.
CFI1: Thank God. I thought you were one of those 3 hours is enough sleep kind of guys.
Me: Uh, no.
I'm a morning person, but I have my limits.
As I prepare everything in the cabin, I don my new Lightspeed Mach 1.c in-the-ear headset. I just got it two days ago and I'm looking forward to trying it out for the second time tonight. It is around this time that things begin their gradual descent into the realm of distractor-induced discomfort.
Next on the list, I note that there's a nice 8-10kt steady crosswind with gusts to maybe 15 or so. Normally I'd be thrilled about this. Tonight it adds unnecessary stress to an already daunting task - not dying in the dark.
But wait! Order now and you'll receive a non-backlit set of airplane instruments! Oh sure, you can vaguely make out what might be an arrow or a little airplane by the 4 lumen dome light placed above and behind your head. Let not your heart be troubled!
To me this looks like a perfect prologue to an NTSB report. But I'm a trooper. I press on.
I taxi out onto the runway and actually perform a very nice crosswind takeoff.
CFI1: Excellent crosswind takeoff.
It's about this time that I realize that, while I'd love to give him some smarmy, clever acknowledgment (my own style of accepting compliments), I'm not able to do so. It seems that the microphone boom for my headset has traveled 2 inches to the left of where I last placed it and speaking will require a third hand to reach up and put it back where it will pick up my voice.
In my wisdom, I elect not to focus on the growth of said third hand, but rather to wait until a less critical moment of flight to reach up and coerce the headset farther into my ear and the boom back in speaking range.
Adding to my trouble on takeoff, I notice that the rudder pedals are too close (they're adjustable in the DA20). This means that I have more bend in my right leg than usual, which means I cannot just stiff-leg the right rudder pedal on takeoff.
It's kind of like doing a one-legged leg press except you just hold the weight at about 80% of the leg's full extended range. Just until you reach pattern altitude though. My quads were nearing the stage of mutiny on the first pattern.
I wonder briefly on downwind if CFI1 would fail something on the first trip around but dismiss the thought. Surely he's not that cruel, as I've already got my hands full with the crosswind, the headset and my numb right leg. Oh yeah, and I still don't really know where the end of the runway is. Another minor detail. Please God, don't let him be that cruel.
Thankfully, he's not, and I, to the great surprise of all involved, perform an unremarkable crosswind landing (I'll take it!). I've officially logged my first night landing. Er, one thing though...I totally forgot my landing flow. This is why we train in fixed gear aircraft. Oops.
Next trip around is less eventful except that on upwind I see lightning in the (far) distance. This is the stuff in KY. Except it's now in TN. Apparently it's devoured everything there and is still not satiated.
I reach up and fix my microphone again, make some radio calls, and wish in vain for a fourth hand to massage that damn right quad. This is getting silly.
The next landing is actually quite good, one of my best ever, not just at night. But I can't take anymore of the headset, so I pull off on the taxiway while CFI1 looks on very confused.
I pound my left ear until the insert is flush with my brain and forcefully push the microphone to my mouth. Where it will stay. Or I shall kill it.
As I'm pulling back up to the runway, I hear a buddy of mine enter the pattern in his Baron after a very long haul. We chat briefly and he asks me to score his landing.
Me: Uh... it was a little long. Was that on purpose?
Him: Of course, I was trying to get out of your way!
Me: Ok then, nice job!
Him: Be careful on final tonight... those gusts are tricky.
Me: Yeah, roger that.
As I take off, I fix my microphone!!! and divulge to CFI1 my level of discomfort.
Me: I'll be honest, I'm a nervous wreck tonight.
CFI1: <genuine incredulity> Really??
Me: Yeah, I've got way too many distractions.
As I say this, I realize I forgot to reset the damn rudder pedals. Shit! Man that leg hurts, but I'm not stopping again. I will simply live with the pain or maybe beat the other one with my DeWalt flashlight in an effort to confuse the nerve endings and equalize them in my brain.
The next few trips around are somewhat uneventful except that CFI1 has to completely take over the radio because the headset is still moving around on me. It is simply not safe for me to keep reaching up and fixing it while my workload is this high. I am already envisioning the satisfaction of requesting that RMA number.
Predictably CFI1 begins to fail things. My landing and taxi lights failed without my noticing. That's a good thing. I think.
He then kills my flaps, which I notice right away. I meant to give him a playful evil look but I must have overdone it.
CFI1: Uh, you ok with that?
Me: Yeah, I just kinda wanted to hit you.
CFI1: That's what it looked like!
I assure him it's not a real problem and I land uneventfully.
Next trip around, hey whaddya know... my engine "died".
CFI1: You knew it was coming.
Me: Yep.
I take no chances with this whole not being able to see business and get over the runway asap. I slip down and land quite lightly.
There are a few other unremarkable patterns and we finally do a full stop and call it a night.
So here's my list of beefs with this night, in order of suck:
1) Headset
2) Crosswind w/ gusts (strongest I've flown in actually)
3) Rudder pedals too close
4) Non-backlit instruments
5) Storms taunting me on upwind
6) Lack of sunlight
Honestly, I feel like a huge baby crying about the above items. However, I do take one very positive thing away from the lesson: Despite all that stuff trying to screw me over, I actually performed very well the entire night. I think that's why CFI1 was so surprised when I told him how stressed I was.
So that's it... things don't always go as we envision they will. At this point I don't know whether to look forward to the night cross country or dread it. I'm leaning toward the latter.
There is one other important thing I took away from the lesson tonight. I intend to view my PPL night training like I view the PPL instrument training - for emergencies only. Like, if I happen to accidentally stray into a cloud or a total solar eclipse.
To me, the added danger of night flight at this point in my flying career represents too great a risk. But then again, I'm a big baby. And my leg hurts, damn it.
Logged: 1.1 and 8 night landings
Comments
MovingTarget
Member
Registered: Mar 2007
Location: Henderson, NV
Posts: 59
Another great write-up Sys.
I am sort of dreading night flight. Not around Las Vegas itself --lord knows there's enough light here for six cities-- but the long flights over large expanses of empty, open desert.
__________________
"Tongue tied and twisted, just an earth-bound misfit, I" - Pink Floyd
Jeff S KDTW
Patent Pending
Registered: Jan 2003
Location: Flying at Mach 0.30
Posts: 7794
Jeff -
A question:
As to the rudder pedal adjustment, spoken from someone who has never flown a DA20), couldn't you adjust it on a taxiway by asking the instructor to take over the plane (i.e. hold his brakes) while you "fix" the problem?
A couple comments:
I wouldn't dismiss the improperly adjusted rudder pedals so quickly next time and continue to fly with it. We are creatures of habit and it is important to set up the cockpit so that things can be accomplished from training-memory rather than conscious thought. In other words, should you have experienced an unexpected crosswind gust at a critical time, it would be better to already know how much leg travel is necessary to get that predetermined rudder deflection to achieve the same corrective result you have done 100 times before. By not having the pedals at the same distance as you are used to, you had to spend a lot of time "thinking" about rudder control and ... leg pain. It wasn't a huge issue on Thursday night, but in the future that could be just another thing that is distracting enough to you to overload you. (I think you already know this...but your threads are so good for making the point to others that are simply lurking. )
Is it me or did you not like the Mach 1? (you've saved me from investigating it again in the next 6 months. By the way, try a pair of Bose..... )
If I haven't said it before, love the write-ups.
__________________
Personal Photo/Aviation Website|FARs|AIM|AC|PCG|FAA Opinions
Sysvr4
Senior Member
Registered: May 2007
Location: KMQY
Posts: 150
Originally posted by MovingTarget
Another great write-up Sys.
I am sort of dreading night flight. Not around Las Vegas itself --lord knows there's enough light here for six cities-- but the long flights over large expanses of empty, open desert.
I do not envy you. My understanding is that in Europe you must be instrument rated to fly at night (I have not confirmed this). There is some debate about that here. I'll let you know to which side of the debate I'm partial after my night CC Monday night...
FWIW, large expanses of dark desert, I think, are exactly the type of conditions that fuel the IR side of that debate. You should just buzz Bellagio instead...
Jeff
Sysvr4
Senior Member
Registered: May 2007
Location: KMQY
Posts: 150
Originally posted by Jeff S KDTW
As to the rudder pedal adjustment, spoken from someone who has never flown a DA20), couldn't you adjust it on a taxiway by asking the instructor to take over the plane (i.e. hold his brakes) while you "fix" the problem?
Yeah, I could have. I just did not want to take the additional time to pull off to the taxiway (again), undo the seatbelts, fix the pedals, taxi back over, hold short, and finally go. In retrospect, I probably should have done so.
I wouldn't dismiss the improperly adjusted rudder pedals so quickly next time and continue to fly with it.
I think you are absolutely right. When something is not exactly as we expect it, it's a distraction. Have I mentioned how much I hate those? Now I know how Rainman felt when there was no TV for Wapner that day.
Is it me or did you not like the Mach 1? (you've saved me from investigating it again in the next 6 months. By the way, try a pair of Bose..... )
Well, no, in fact, I give it at least one thumbs down Here's the thing though, I think it's just the anatomy of my ear canal which perhaps has an odd angle to it with respect to the chord to my mouth. It might actually work for you. I'm also not sure that the custom ear molds wouldn't fix this problem, but I don't want to spend another $100 to find out and then be out of the 30 day return period.
That said, I'm apparently not the only one. It's a shame that I found this thread only after I'd ordered mine.
There are other things about it that bug me mildly though. For instance, it takes a minute or two to pull it out of the case, untangle the wires you unceremoniously jammed into the case after your last flight, and actually insert it all into your cranium. I think I've found I like the convenience of just plug and go.
Lastly, I have had headsets for my cellphone that were somewhat like this and they have tended to be rather susceptible to damage on the thinly insulated cords. So I also have durability concerns with the set. These concerns may or may not have any actual merit.
As for the Bose, I nearly ordered a set but apparently (and inexplicably) there is no cell phone or audio input. Now, I don't intend to blather on to my buddies while I'm flying, but it was really nice to be able to check a distant ASOS and file my flight plan from the left seat with the press of a button with the Lightspeed.
I ordered a Telex Stratus 50D based on Philip Greenspun's recommendation. It, supposedly, has better passive *and* active noise cancellation than the Bose and is, subjectively, as comfortable. I'll let you know when I get it.
If I haven't said it before, love the write-ups.
Thank you kindly, and if I haven't said so, I appreciate the comments you add as one of the experienced fliers on the board!
Jeff
soulie13
Senior Member
Registered: Feb 2006
Location: KHEF
Posts: 364
This seems to be my tip for what ails everyone this week. Take A Deep Breath. Night flight is different. It presents us with a smaller window for error should things go wrong. It presents us with challenges for planning and executing XC flight. It makes us use different visual clues during landing.
However, when all of that is taken into consideration, night flying offers us one of the most amazing experiences that a student can have.
In a moderately developed area, you are almost always going to have enough light from the ground to have a horizon, and to have visual clues as to where you are. Everyone makes the IFR joke(I Fly Roads), but it is a perfectly reasonable approach.
Question - what's up with the backlighting on your instruments? The DA20 I trained in had the lights backlit. Sitting on the numbers about to power up for my first night flight felt like we were on a carrier deck in a fighter. I can't wait for the days to get shorter so I can do some night flying again.
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5/22/2007
Jeff S KDTW
Patent Pending
Registered: Jan 2003
Location: Flying at Mach 0.30
Posts: 7794
Originally posted by Sysvr4
As for the Bose, I nearly ordered a set but apparently (and inexplicably) there is no cell phone or audio input. Now, I don't intend to blather on to my buddies while I'm flying, but it was really nice to be able to check a distant ASOS and file my flight plan from the left seat with the press of a button with the Lightspeed.
That's the exact reason why my wife and daughters use the Lightspeed (3G 30 -- Mom; 3G 20 -- Kids)--so they can plug in iPods/Handheld Games, and cellphones.
Personally, as the pilot, I can not give up the comfort of the Bose for the cellphone input (we have an input into the Garmin audio panel for the iPod). I won't use the cellphone much, if all, with the engines idling (at 10 gph ) and I've found the Bose to be more comfortable than the Lightspeed.
Good luck in finding the headset that fits your cranium--it is always a personal choice.
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nathan42100
Student Pilot-Lesson 4
Registered: Jul 2007
Location: KHPN
Posts: 111
Once again, great writeup!
Freeski
Student Instructor
Registered: Mar 2005
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 746
Re: Lesson 20: Hey, who turned out the lights?!
Originally posted by Sysvr4
I'm a morning person, but I have my limits.
That is a great attitude. Nothing worse than pilot fatigue.
Flying at night can be quite beautiful - even with instruments that have faulty backlights! I've had that happen many times, and although it can be a real PITA, if you look at the bright side (pun intended), the stars pronounce themselves (on clear nights anyways). It can really be breathtaking at times.
Now, there have been a few dreadful night flights that I have experienced. However, with the few dreadful night training flights, I overcame a couple possible dangerous situations.
Anyway, before I get too far off topic, great write-up once again and do your best to look forward to that night XC. I think you will really enjoy it!