A shooting star (An artist ‘s impression)
Image source – Star Gazers (https://tinyurl.com/2p96s7fn)
Do pilots see anything during a night flight?
As a pilot, I often get questions from passengers who, when gazing through the windows at night, see nothing but pitch-black darkness. They wonder how we navigate and fly the plane safely in such conditions.
Well, when visibility is good, I can see a lot through my cockpit windows. However, if there’s cloud cover, rain, or snow, my vision can be quite limited. In those situations, I rely on cockpit instruments and the GPS navigation to guide me safely. Moreover, most airline pilots are certified to land with very low visibility of 100 meters when the runway is suitably equipped (Cat 3B).
When landing at night, the runway and approach lights are visible, thanks to our well-designed landing lighting system.
During cruise, I get to enjoy the wonderful night skies. Contrary to what some might believe, flying long distances at night isn’t necessarily boring. It all depends on whether the pilot appreciates the surroundings.
From my personal experience, on a clear night above the clouds, the night skies are truly awe-inspiring.
I can spot stars shining brighter than when I’m on the ground, unless I’m viewing them from a desert. Heading towards London, I could see the evening star Venus on the western sky after sunset. On the return flight, Venus was visible in the eastern sky before sunrise.
Apart from the captivating city lights and scenic spots on the seas below, I occasionally catch a glimpse of a rare shooting star streaking across the night sky. These aren’t actual stars but meteors or small rocks from space that heat up and glow as they sweep across the Earth’s atmosphere.
While not superstitious, I once playfully made a wish upon spotting a shooting star. However, the swift movement of the meteors made it challenging to complete my wish in time!
It’s said that spotting a shooting star and making a wish can bring good fortune, although there’s no rational explanation for this belief. I didn’t dwell on it much; I was merely testing how fast I could utter my wishes!
Some pilots are fortunate enough to witness the Northern Lights when flying near the northern Pole. Despite flying on a Boeing 777 from Stockholm to New York via southern Greenland a few times, I never had the luck to witness the enchanting aurora borealis or Northern Lights.
The Northern Lights typically appear as swirling rivers of greenish-blue light in a clear night sky, resulting from the interaction of the solar wind and the Earth’s magnetic field.
Having hung up my pilot’s uniform about eight years ago, reminiscing about these incredible sights has been quite nostalgic for me. My only regret is not witnessing the Northern Lights during my last few flights across the Northern Atlantic Region.
Perhaps it’s time to consider a Northern Lights tour to Sweden Lapland to check off that item on my bucket list!
View YouTube video What is a Shooting Star?
here – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tqw_GoRFKY
View YouTube video Night of the Northern Lights