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[HiFlyer]

Bad M7!! Da' manual says leave da' clouds alone!  http://planeur-bailleau.org/docs/Manuels%20de%20vol/ASK_13.pdf

Levi, it looks like the original ASK-13 from flightgear actually already had lighting. 

As far as aircraft strobes on the glider, apparently its up to the user whether to install one and where. (or even whether to install one at all!) so you are probably free to use your imagination. I have quotes from pilots saying:

The Edinburgh University K13 has a bright yellow strobe on the deck just
behind the cockpit and is superbly visible on the ridge (which can get crowded
and murky) as a result. I'm all for them.

I've already discussed this with fellow pilots and the issue that always
came up was:-
where to mount them easily?

if put on tips of wings, then very difficult threading wiring through wing
internals to cockpit control/power area

if put on nose, then usually aero-tow hook in way

if put on tail tip, then gliders thermalling below you wont see you

conclusion so far is on belly of cockpit, forward of wheel, using a 360
degree viewable strobe lamp unit, maybe inset somewhat into belly skin to
minimise damage on landings, and as near CofG, should not disrupt
"balance/trim" of aircraft and elcectics/electronics far enough away from
compass to reduce any effect on that.

Good luck!!

Rules of the Air Regs 2007, Statutory instrument 734 Rule 50

"At night a glider shall display either a steady red light of at least 5 candela showing in all directions or alternatively standard red, green & white aeroplane lights"


A glider can remain airborne at night in ridge lift (the duration record for a glider flight is I believe 56 hours by ridge soaring) or in mountain wave.

Duration flights in gliders were getting to silly lengths pre & immediately post war and are no longer recognised on safety grounds (I think)

Night flights in wave would technically be possible but the prospect of a night field landing doesn't appeal and I've never heard of it being done.

[Levi]

Oh, I haven't thought to look at the ASK-13 in flight gear.
And it seems that there are lights only on the gauges. Alright then, I'll try to put the lights just as they are in FG.

[HiFlyer]

Oh, I haven't thought to look at the ASK-13 in flight gear.
And it seems that there are lights only on the gauges. Alright then, I'll try put the lights just as they are in FG.

Don't rush, I know you have other things to do.

[Acetone]

"At night a glider shall display either a steady red light of at least 5 candela showing in all directions or alternatively standard red, green & white aeroplane lights"

It's legal to fly gliders at night in some airspaces? Oo

[M7]

It's legal to fly gliders at night in some airspaces? Oo

Yes on D day over Normandy 

[HiFlyer]

It's legal to fly gliders at night in some airspaces? Oo

Yes on D day over Normandy 

You were saying.....? 

[Acetone]

It's legal to fly gliders at night in some airspaces? Oo

Yes on D day over Normandy 

You were saying.....? 
[video]

Looks like dawn more than night (overcasts helps a lot). IMO the guy did a quick flight just before the end of the legal flight hour, to take a quick look at the fireworks from the sky but, hey, nobody will blame him 

[HiFlyer]

It seems to be rare but not totally unknown. And that rule I posted was from the UK in the 70s

I flew a Bocian at night at Leszno Poland. The Poles are the only country i know that regularly fly gliders at night. They use to insit on a parachute jump from a glider too!

The only recent night flight in a glider in the UK was done in the late 70s by Humty Dumty (Humphry Dimock) at Cranfield. He fitted a single Red light to his glider, just to make a point it could be done.

I know that Poland used to have a night glider rating, and some UK pilots did aerotow night checks.

Lights on the tug aircraft, low level cockpit instrment lights and normal runway lighting.

There is apparently to be an EASA Glider night rating, and I suppose the same training would apply?

When duration records existed, beacon lights were put on ridges and ridge soaring was used; duration records were discontinued after they reached several days, and pilots fell asleep killing themselves in the subsequent crash.

While wave lift certainly exists during night hours I am not aware of any intentional night wave flights (although a number of landings have taken place after sunset, it is easy to be deceived by the sun being well above the horizon at 20,000ft when it's sunset on the ground, and it takes a finite time to descend - too fast and it's easy to get an iced up canopy. Car headlights can make a very good makeshift 'flarepath'.)

There also seems to be some leeway for LSA/gliders like the one in the video, allowing them to fly at "night"

Any pilots want to interject?

[HiFlyer]

OK, since we were at an impasse as to whether Gliders flew at night, I took the question to Avsim and started a thread. The conclusion, after a bit of back and forth is that there appear to be no regulations prohibiting night flying, just a bit of paperwork that needs to be filled out.

Your biggest obstacle will probably be your insurance company!

Its strongly suggested you equip your glider with lights if you do so, with the suggestion being that the lights be patterned on that of a regular private plane, though as posted above, a single red light is also acceptable.

Here is the Avsim thread: http://forum.avsim.net/topic/465442-so-can-i-fly-a-glider-at-night/

[Acetone]

OK, since we were at an impasse as to whether Gliders flew at night, I took the question to Avsim and started a thread. The conclusion, after a bit of back and forth is that there appear to be no regulations prohibiting night flying, just a bit of paperwork that needs to be filled out.

Your biggest obstacle will probably be your insurance company!

Its strongly suggested you equip your glider with lights if you do so, with the suggestion being that the lights be patterned on that of a regular private plane, though as posted above, a single red light is also acceptable.

Here is the Avsim thread: http://forum.avsim.net/topic/465442-so-can-i-fly-a-glider-at-night/

Woah, thanks  So the conclusion is : it's possible in many places, but you should better think twice before doing it. It's interesting to see that it's mostly legal because nobody thought it can be a possibility 

[HiFlyer]

OK, since we were at an impasse as to whether Gliders flew at night, I took the question to Avsim and started a thread. The conclusion, after a bit of back and forth is that there appear to be no regulations prohibiting night flying, just a bit of paperwork that needs to be filled out.

Your biggest obstacle will probably be your insurance company!

Its strongly suggested you equip your glider with lights if you do so, with the suggestion being that the lights be patterned on that of a regular private plane, though as posted above, a single red light is also acceptable.

Here is the Avsim thread: http://forum.avsim.net/topic/465442-so-can-i-fly-a-glider-at-night/

Woah, thanks  So the conclusion is : it's possible in many places, but you should better think twice before doing it. It's interesting to see that it's mostly legal because nobody thought it can be a possibility 

Well, we already know M7 is crazy and likes to glide near mountains...... why not at night? I see that sometimes when doing this, people placed lights on nearby ridges/mountaintops as low-rent nav-markers.....

Also, this may be interesting...... http://www.glidingcaboolture.org.au/gq60/tgs_night_flying.htm

[M7]

you can also use night vision dont remember the key for it....or some big head lights on your glider

[Levi]

As far as aircraft strobes on the glider, apparently its up to the user whether to install one and where. (or even whether to install one at all!) so you are probably free to use your imagination. I have quotes from pilots saying:

The Edinburgh University K13 has a bright yellow strobe on the deck just
behind the cockpit and is superbly visible on the ridge (which can get crowded
and murky) as a result. I'm all for them.

I've already discussed this with fellow pilots and the issue that always
came up was:-
where to mount them easily?

if put on tips of wings, then very difficult threading wiring through wing
internals to cockpit control/power area

if put on nose, then usually aero-tow hook in way

if put on tail tip, then gliders thermalling below you wont see you

conclusion so far is on belly of cockpit, forward of wheel, using a 360
degree viewable strobe lamp unit, maybe inset somewhat into belly skin to
minimise damage on landings, and as near CofG, should not disrupt
"balance/trim" of aircraft and elcectics/electronics far enough away from
compass to reduce any effect on that.

Good luck!!

Thank you for the info HiFlyer! I'll see what can be done on the ASK-13.

[Acetone]

[HiFlyer]

Strange that this was just posted, but looks so much like early Outerra.