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FLIGHT INSTRUCTIOR'S MANUAL 169 

comparing the size of different objects. This also applies to estimation of altitude and speed. Consequently, more dependence must be placed on instruments, particularly the altimeter and the air speed indicator.

Practically all students, and indeed many experienced pilots, have a tendency to make their approach and landings as night with considerable excess speed. This is not wholly undesirable with some types of airplanes unless carried to extremes, but is normally an unnecessary hazard. Every effort should be made to teach the student a normal approach, inasmuch as as the usual errors resulting from excess speed will me accentuated during night landings and there is always dander of unseen obstructions, obstacles, or equipment ahead. 

Many experienced pilots prefer to use some power while making landings at night, in which case the airplane is dragged in under power and pancaked slightly with power on. The power is cut immediately upon landing. This type of landing is particularly advantageous in making a landing in any strange field since is cuts the ensuing roll to a minimum. It also enables the pilot to compensate more quickly and completely for errors of judgement in levelling off caused by reduced visibility or unfamiliar lighting facilities. 

Many pilots prefer to land without the use of floodlights, using the height of boundary light to gauge the approach and levelling-off operations. Floodlights, unless properly adjusted, often cause a glare that partially blinds the pilot, and frequently creates an optical illusion in which the ground is apparently art the height of the top of the floodlight beam. Many students have attempted to land on the top of the floodlight bean under the impression that they were practically on the ground. When it is necessary to land into a floodlight bean, the student should be cautioned never to look toward the light source. Such an error may cause temporary blindness, which is disconcerting at any time and will be disastrous if it occurs at the wrong time. In such cases, f landing lights are used, it is customary to use both landing lights, and while landing watch only the area covered by them, carefully avoiding looking beyond this area into the floodlights, The landing area should have been checked for obstructions and other aircraft during the approach in order that full attention can be given to making the landing. 

The student should be impressed with the necessity of remembering the terrain adjacent to the airport in order that he may pick from memory the most suitable field in the vicinity in case of an emergency during solo flights around the airport. Such a landing should be made in the direction in which the take-off was made, if possible or practicable to do so. The student should also be cautioned to maintain a very careful and continuous watch for obstructions at such a time, since they will not be lighted and many of them are almost impossible to see until the airplane is practically on them. 

A student should not make his first solo night flights at a time when other night flying operations are being carried on. For later flights, while other night operations are being carried on, he should be impressed with the importance of being even more alert than usual for other aircraft and of confining his operations of the areas and ma-