you are operating off-airport, you must pay more atten- tion to the surroundings. Obstructions may also be dif- ficult to see if you are taking off from an unlighted area. Once you have chosen a suitable takeoff path, select a point down the takeoff path to use for directional refer- ence. During a night takeoff, you may notice a lack of reliable outside visual references after you are airborne. This is particularly true at small airports and off-airport landing sites located in sparsely populated areas. To compensate for the lack of outside references, use the available flight instruments as an aid. Check the altime- ter and the airspeed indicator to verify the proper climb attitude. An attitude indicator, if installed, can enhance your attitude reference.  The first 500 feet of altitude after takeoff is considered to be the most critical period in transitioning from the comparatively well-lighted airport or heliport into what sometimes appears to be total darkness. A takeoff at ver, meaning you will most likely perform a nearly maximum performance takeoff. This improves the chances for obstacle clearance and enhances safety. When performing this maneuver, be sure to avoid the cross-hatched or shaded areas of the height-velocity diagram. In order to provide a higher margin of safety, it is rec- ommended that you select a cruising altitude somewhat higher than normal. There are several reasons for this. First, a higher altitude gives you more clearance between obstacles, especially those that are difficult to see at night, such as high tension wires and unlighted towers. Secondly, in the event of an engine failure, you have more time to set up for a landing and the gliding distance is greater giving you more options in making a safe landing. Thirdly, radio reception is improved, par- ticularly if you are using radio aids for navigation.  During your preflight planning, it is recommended that you select a route of flight that keeps you within reach of an airport, or any safe landing site, as much of the time as possible. It is also recommended that you fly as close as possible to a populated or lighted area such as a highway or town. Not only does this offer more options in the event of an emergency, but also makes navigation a lot easier. A course comprised of a series of slight zig-zags to stay close to suitable landing sites and well lighted areas, only adds a little more time and distance to an otherwise straight course. In the event that you have to make a forced landing at night, use the same procedure recommended for day- Although the landing light is a helpful aid when mak- ing night approaches, there is an inherent disadvantage. The portion of the landing area illuminated by the land- ing light seems higher than the dark area surrounding it. This effect can cause you to terminate the approach at too high an altitude, resulting in a settling-with- power condition and a hard landing.  Another tendency is to focus too much on the landing area and not pay enough attention to airspeed. If too much airspeed is lost, a settling-with-power condition may result. Maintain the proper attitude during the approach, and make sure you keep some forward air- speed and movement until close to the ground. Outside visual reference for airspeed and rate of closure may not be available, especially when landing in an unlighted area, so pay special attention to the airspeed indicator  Carefully controlled studies have revealed that pilots have a tendency to make lower approaches at night than during the day. This is potentially dangerous as you have a greater chance of hitting an obstacle, such as an overhead wire or fence, which are difficult to see. It is good practice to make steeper approaches at night, thus increasing any obstacle clearance. Monitor your altitude and rate of descent using the altimeter. Night approaches and landings do have some advan- tages over daytime approaches, as the air is generally smoother and the disruptive effects of turbulence and excessive crosswinds are often absent. However, there are a few special considerations and techniques that apply to approaches at night. For example, when land- ing at night, especially at an unfamiliar airport, make the approach to a lighted runway and then use the taxi- ways to avoid unlighted obstructions or equipment. At night, the outside visual references are greatly reduced especially when flying over a sparsely popu- lated area with little or no lights. The result is that you tend to focus on a single point or instrument, making you less aware of the other traffic around. You must make a special effort to devote enough time to scan for traffic. You can determine another aircraft’s direction of flight by interpreting the position and anticollision lights. time emergency landings. If available, turn on the land- ing light during the final descent to help in avoiding obstacles along your approach path.  COLLISION AVOIDANCE AT NIGHT APPROACH AND LANDING EN ROUTE PROCEDURES 13-5