Simviation Forums

Hello fellow aviators,

I have recently found that trying to land at some airports at night is quite demanding when ATC refuses to activate the runway lights.

I leave from my local aerodrome of Gunnedah NSW wich in real life the RWY lights are PAL (Pilot Activated), and then head to Tamworth to practice an ILS approach on RWY 30R. I establish on the localizer about 8 miles out and can glide all the way in without seeing the lights of the runway. I usually end up too low and crash about 2 miles out as the glideslope needle dosen't appear to work at Tamworth.

I also try to do an NDB/VOR approach into Canberra, ACT at night to find I can't see the runway.

Is this a technical glitch with the software or am I doing something wrong?
Doe anyone else have this problem?

Keen to find out, please let me know

SV2003

I have found the same problem at some airports, I'm not sure if it's a glitch or what but it is a complete pain after a 2 plus hour flight to find you can't land.  To be honest I change the time now if this happens so that I can see.

Will

Sim. I just did night VFR circuit at Tamworth and Canberra and had lights,not great lights but they are there for me.!

Thanks Fella's

Your right packercolinl they are there, but they aren't what you call spectactular. I even tried with the panel window closed only to find your sitting on its door step befor you notice how high you are.
I worked out that there is a glide slope at Tamworth, I had to switch from GPS to NAV (how embarrising).

I guess there is no way that I can edit a .cfg to brighten the lights like we do with the panels?????

Anyway, I shall struggle on!!!!

Thanks again

SV2003

Yeah!! After those two flights I'd like to be able to brighten things up as well,it was a bit of a case of knowing where to look and then finding it in the ground clutter.

There is a file somewhere for night lights. It brightens everything up. I took it out because even my airplane lights were as big as heck. Not bright, but the bigger size lets you see it better. I think it is here somewhere.

Thanks,I think I know the one you mean. I'd forgotten about it. I've just done a night flight into NTTO which is mid Pacific with nothing to see except the runway lights and I can't say they were much good either.
Cheers

I've found that if you switch from the VC to the 2d cockpit the lights suddenly become v.visible, however carrier landings at night in a Seafire in the 2d cockpit are brown flightsuit and guesswork!

Ozzy

SimV'03:

You said you try to do a NDB/VOR aproach.
Why not an ILS aproach?

Find the ILS frequency, for your particular runway, and tune your Nav1 radio to it and do an insturment aproach, following the ILS.

You should see the lights, no problem.

Fish, I think the problem isn't that he can't find the field, its that the lights aren't on in F$, because it's one of those tiny fields that have pilot controlled field lighting...

Yea.

I think I remember someone posting something similar, and saying that there are PALs in the sim that are activated thru the ILS freq.

This could be one of them.

Fisharno,

Like Hyperion said, it's not that I choose to do an ILS its the fact that the RWY lights arn't easily visable from 4 mls DME in VMC.

I often attack the NDB/VOR approach on runway 17 at Canberra to hone in on my accuraccy with this type of instrument landing.

If anyone knows of the file previously posted that can resize the lights larger, please let me know.

Thanks to all

SV2003

I've looked all over for that file and can't find it.