Co-Pilot For Life

To obtain my license, I need a total of 3 hours of night flight (no solo night is required), including a cross country flight with at least ten landings.  Currently I have about a half hour of night time with 1 night landing. During my last flight with Von (CFI at Nashville Flight School), we discussed working on this during my next lesson. He also suggested I bring a guest as it can be very pretty at night.

Of course, Kate was my first pick. Throughout this process Kate has been worried, although supportive. She has had to pick up the slack around the house and with Rome, as I have been absent during my training. She is very much appreciated.

When I asked her to become my first passenger (well, her and baby girl) she quickly, yet reluctantly, agreed. I was very excited, but nervous to provide her with a good first impression of general aviation flying.

Does she looks worried or excited?

Looks like a natural in those headphones!

My appointment was at 7pm, which in October is dark enough. We discussed the plan, which was to fly west to Humphreys County Airport (0M5), make a few landings and then fly back to Nashville International Airport (BNA) in the C172 (N434EP). This means we’ll be able to enjoy the view as we fly right over downtown Nashville at night. Winds were calm and the visibility was greater than 10 miles (I’m sure visibility was much greater, but they do not specify visibility beyond 10 miles).

Pre-Flight Check - Fuel

We took off of runway 2C and headed west at 4,500 feet. Nashville was beautiful, like looking at Christmas lights for miles. With the weather so cool and mild, the flight was smooth and calm.

Downtown Nashville at 4,500 feet

Once we flew past the city, everything went black. Most of middle Tennessee is pretty rural once you get a few minutes outside of the city, so we could distinguish very little between the sky and the ground. This flight required a lot of trust in technology, skills, and proper aviation techniques. Once our eyes adjusted, we could follow I40 and locate the rotating beacons at Dickson Airport and Humphreys County Airport. The GPS was also helpful.

Humphreys County Airport

We did three landings on runway 3 at 0M5, each time taxiing back on the runway because Humphreys County Airport does not have any taxiways. I was very careful to not make any steep turns or quick changes in altitude so Kate could have a pleasant experience. Overall I was pleased with the flight and Kate said she had a good time.

Landing back at BNA was really fun. As I looked at the airport, I felt like I was in command of a Boeing 747. The landing at BNA was my 5th night flight landing.

Since I have started my aviation adventure, I have had several wonderful experiences that will last a lifetime. Tonight was one of them, and I was glad I could share it with my co-pilot for life.

Pilot and Co-Pilot

Flight Time: 1.7 hours
Cost: Plane rental – 195.50, Instructor Fee - $68.00