Posted for "James Keyworth" <jakey@telcomplus.net>:

 Hi Steve,
 
  I occasionally fly at night single engine, and only VFR.  Have done so
 since 1980.  Most recently this October, completing my night currency
requirements.  I 've flown a Grumman Cheetah & Tiger, a Rockwell 112TC-A and
various Cessna 172s at night in places as diverse as Miami, FL, Victoria,
Abbotsford & Kelowna, BC, Calgary, AB and Bellingham & Arlington, WA.   I have
a private ticket and slightly more than 1000 hrs total time.
 
  To minimize risk I rarely fly at night where I haven't flown or driven
 during the day, so I have some idea what's below me.  Also I double the
pre-flight checks and get a firm idea of the weather along my route.  I also
keep aerobically fit and, of course, don't smoke.  This gives me an edge for
vision at night, and lets my lungs process oxygen more efficiently above 5000
feet.  I ensure I don't deprive myself of sleep several days before a flight.
 
  Some risks you can't minimize and they actually intensify at night.  I'm
 always learning.  While walking the dog at MIDNIGHT some weeks after my last
night flight, I heard distant honking, looked up and saw a V-formation of
geese (!) at least 1000 feet overhead heading south.  This was only four miles
north of a fairly busy airport.   I had never once considered bird strikes at
night as a hazard (despite the fact that years ago an air force squadron mate
was sitting in the plastic nose of a sub-hunter one very dark night over the
Mediterranean when a large bird joined him the hard way.) Except for not
flying at night at all, I can't see any way to reduce that risk.
 
  Why do I fly at night?  I earned my night endorsement mainly as a
 precaution for long or delayed day flights which might extend past the end of
civil twilight, necessitating a night landing.  So far my only NEED to night
fly is to maintain currency.  But some clear moonlit nights are just too
beautiful to see only from the ground!
 
 James Keyworth
 EAA 778405