N4101

=Night Nav Techniques= Cities are easier to see at night, but may blend in with towns in the area. Airports and major roads are usually good checkpoints, as are large water masses on well-lit nights. Check the projected illumination and cloud cover as you plan your route. =Night Emergencies= Same procedures as daytime, but it takes longer, and LZ's are more difficult to identify. Landing as soon as possible might require an airport or well-lit urban area. =Night Emergency Landing Site Eval= If you can't see it, don't land there. Beware of unlit obstructions and power lines. Sliding landings are also dangerous. There are also considerations in section 17 of the NATOPS that deal with entry into the zone, the type of surface you'll encounter, loss of wind effect, and the maneuvering required to enter the landing zone. Remember that "Land as soon as Possible" means make a landing at the first site at which a SAFE landing can be made.

=Airport Lighting= Read FIH, Section B.

In the United States, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has established the following rules for airport beacons:

Flashing rates

24 to 30 per minute for beacons marking airports, landmarks, and points on Federal airways 30 to 45 per minute for beacons marking heliports Color combinations

White and Green — Lighted land airport Green alone* — Lighted land airport White and Yellow — Lighted water airport Yellow alone* — Lighted water airport Green, Yellow, and White — Lighted heliport White, White, Green* — Military Airport White, Green, Red — Hospital and/or Emergency Services Heliport Military airport beacons flash alternately white and green, but are differentiated from civil beacons by two quick white flashes between the green flashes.
 * Green alone or yellow alone is used only in connection with a white-and-green or white-and-yellow beacon display, respectively.

=Inadvertant IMC= Same as daytime, but the pucker factors goes up a little. It's harder to see clouds at night.