Beechcraft Bonanza E33 - Vertigo - Disorientation; VFR at Night

BEECHCRAFT
VFR AT NIGHT
SectlonX
Safety Information
When flying VFR at night, in addition to the altitude
appropriate for the direction of flight, pilots should
maintain a saf e minimum altitude as dictated by
terrain, obstacles such as TV t owers, or
communities in the area flown. This is especially
true in mountainous terrain, where there
is usually
very little ground ref erence. Minimum clearance is
2,000 f eet above the highest obstacle enroute. Do
not depend on your ability to see obstacles in time
to miss them. Flight on dark nights over sparsely
populated country can be the same as
IFR, and must
be avoided by inexperienced or non-IFR rated pilots.
VERTIGO - DISORIENTATION
Disorientation can occur in a variety of ways.
Du ring flight, inner ear balancing mechanisms are
subjected to varied forces not
normally experienced
on the ground. This, combined with loss of outside
visual reference, can cause vertigo. False
interpretations (illusions) result, and may confuse
the pilot's conception of the altitude and position of
his airplane.
Under
VFR conditions, the visual sense, using the
horizon as a reference, can override the
illusions.
Under low visibility conditions (night, fog, clouds,
March, 1981
10-35