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Dayton Airpark NV @ night

emsvitil

Well Known Member
I belief I've seen a few gals/guys based there.


My question is how do you fly at night ?
As I haven't seen any listing for lights on your runway....
(Night Owl retirement planning......)

thanks
 
As a general rule we don’t, although I don’t have any real objections to landing on an unlit runway with reasonable illumination from the moon. The biggest risks (so long as you can see the outline of the runway and the (very) nearby mountains) is running into wild horses that might have wandered through an opening in the fence, or a coyote (we have lots of coyotes!), or a jack rabbit (bigger than some small dogs).

We do have some residents who land after dark on occasion, and I will too, if I need to. More often (for us) is an early morning departure before dawn to get a head start on a long trip headed east.

There has been on and off discussion about putting solar-powered edge lights (they look like highway reflectors, but are solar powered, and usually get enough charge during the day to stay on until 0200 or so...), and we could probably do it for $4,000, with maybe a quarter of them having to be replaced annually - but it never gets enough traction to actually pursue. Actual, FAA approved, runway lighting for a mile-long runway is prohibitively expensive for an HOA with 30+ houses - the wire cost alone is a hefty sum!

Why don’t residents feel more strongly about getting lights? Well probably because we’re mostly retired, and by the time sunset comes around, we just don’t have the need/inclination to roll an airplane out to fly. Most of us have flown much of our lives, and the added benefit of one more night flight just doesn’t motivate enough. And if you DO come back late, you can always land at Carson City and have someone drive over to get you, then recover the airplane the next day.

In the end, the frequency of need for night operations just doesn’t rise to meet the cost and bother. And assuming you have any reasonable moon at all, landing at night without runway lights isn’t impossible - it just takes an elevated skill set. And watch out for wild horses!

Paul
 
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........... Most of us have flown much of our lives, and the added benefit of one more night flight just doesn’t motivate enough...............

Paul

I'm the opposite.

I flew when I was younger, and won't be able to afford it until I have access to my 401k(s).

So building and flying will be a retirement activity. (I did enjoy night flying)


I would like to slowly transition to a no/low income tax state (primary residence) before I hit the required minimum distributions on my 401k(s).
The CA income tax I'd avoid would pay for the secondary (transitioning to primary) residence.




Have you thought of just lining the edge of the runway with those traffic lane divider reflectors? The reflection back from the landing light should do the trick and should be cheaper and maintenance free compared to solar lights.
 
Have you thought of just lining the edge of the runway with those traffic lane divider reflectors? The reflection back from the landing light should do the trick and should be cheaper and maintenance free compared to solar lights.

By the time your landing light reflected off the highway reflectors, you’d already be in the flare or on the runway, and your landing isn’t would be lighting up the centerline (which is reflective) and the runway itself.

Our previous airpark had “regulation” lights that were ineffective because they would get blanked by trees unless you were on the extended centerline. We added the Solar lights which really helped pick the runway out on final. Reflectors wouldn’t have done that.

Paul
 
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