By the PilotLeague Team - MSFS 2024 Advanced Guide
Landing at night is one of the most challenging aspects of flight simulation. The absence of visual ground references and loss of depth perception transform a routine approach into a surgical precision exercise.
To achieve a Butter Landing under the stars, you need to change your strategy. Your eyes lie to you in darkness — learn to rely on the right indicators.
To achieve a night Butter Landing, master the flare timing technique, and don't hesitate to execute a go-around if your approach isn't stabilized.
Are your night landings harder than your day landings? PilotLeague lets you compare your performance:
PilotLeague automatically records and analyzes every night landing to identify your areas for improvement.
The most dangerous illusion is the "Black Hole Approach". Without lights between you and the runway, you feel higher than you actually are, which pushes you to pitch down toward the ground.
Diagram: The black hole illusion causes pilots to descend below the glidepath.
At night, your eyes lie to you. The golden rule is to fly by instruments until touchdown:
Perceiving your height at 10 feet above ground is complex in the dark. Use the Runway Edge Lights that start to "scroll" faster to identify the flare moment. Don't look for visual contact with the asphalt — rely on the perspective of lights converging toward the horizon.
Pro Tip: Keep your gaze toward the far end of the runway, not directly below the aircraft. The side runway lights will give you the sensation of scrolling speed.
Are your night landings harder than your day landings? PilotLeague lets you compare your performance:
Apply these techniques in your next flight and track your improvement with PilotLeague.
Download PilotLeague Free