After starting and before taxiing, the taxi or landing light  should be turned on. Continuous use of the landing light with  revolutions per minute (rpm) power settings normally used  for taxiing may place an excessive drain on the aircraft’s  electrical system. Also, overheating of the landing light could  become a problem because of inadequate airflow to carry the  heat away. Landing lights should be used as necessary while  taxiing. When using landing lights, consideration should be  given to not blinding other pilots. Taxi slowly, particularly  in congested areas. If taxi lines are painted on the ramp or  taxiway, these lines should be followed to ensure a proper  path along the route. instruments and switches but not hinder the pilot’s outside  vision. This also eliminates light reflections on the windshield  and instruments. The before takeoff and runup should be performed using the  checklist. During the day, forward movement of the aircraft  can be detected easily. At night, the aircraft could creep  forward without being noticed unless the pilot is alert for this  possibility. Hold or lock the brakes during the runup and be  alert for any forward movement.  [Figure 12-8]  Night fl ying is very different from day fl ying and demands  more attention of the pilot. The most noticeable difference  is the limited availability of outside visual references.  Therefore, flight instruments should be used as a reference  in controlling the aircraft. This is particularly true on night  takeoffs and climbs. The flight deck lights should be adjusted  to a minimum brightness that allows the pilot to read the  After ensuring that the final approach and runway are clear  of other air traffic, or when cleared for takeoff by the tower,  the landing lights and taxi lights should be turned on and the  WSC aircraft lined up with the centerline of the runway. If  the runway does not have centerline lighting, use the painted  centerline and the runway edge lights. After the aircraft  is aligned, the heading indicator should be noted or set to  correspond to the known runway direction. The magnetic  compass should read the exact direction of the runway. The  GPS does not provide meaningful information while stopped  or turning because it measures ground track and needs to be  moving to register enough points to provide accurate data.  To begin the takeoff, the brakes should be released and the  throttle smoothly advanced to maximum allowable power.  As the aircraft accelerates, it should be kept moving straight  ahead between and parallel to the runway-edge lights. The procedure for night takeoffs is the same as for normal  daytime takeoffs except that many of the runway visual cues  are not available. Therefore, the airspeed fl ight instrument  can be checked during the takeoff roll to ensure the proper  airspeed in being obtained. As the airspeed reaches the  normal lift-off speed, the pitch attitude should be adjusted  to that which establishes a normal climb. This should be  accomplished by using the normal control bar position for the  desired climb speed. After liftoff, instruments can be checked  for proper heading, and airspeed.  [Figures 12-9  and  12-10] The darkness of night often makes it difficult to note whether  the airborne aircraft is getting closer to or farther from  the surface. To ensure the aircraft continues in a positive  climb, be sure a climb is indicated on the attitude indicator  (if equipped), vertical speed indicator (VSI), and altimeter.  It is also important to ensure the airspeed is at best climb  speed. Necessary pitch and bank adjustments should be made by  referencing the attitude, heading, or ground track indicators.  Heading indicators include both the aircraft heading indicators  and the magnetic compass. Once the aircraft starts moving  and establishing a ground track straight down the runway, the  GPS has data points to establish a ground track and becomes  useful once in flight. It is recommended that turns not be  made until reaching a safe maneuvering altitude. Although the use of the landing lights provides help during  the takeoff, they become ineffective soon after liftoff when   Takeoff and Climb Figure 12-8. Reviewing before-takeoff checklist, which is included  for the flight with the sectional charts on the kneeboard. 12-9