New Pilot owns plane looking for suggestions.

[5x5]

Night cross country requirements for ATPL from CARS 421.34(4)(a)......The pilot-in-command and/or pilot-in-command under supervision flight time shall include a minimum of 100 hours cross-country flight time of which a minimum of 25 hours shall have been by night.

While I am in agreement that now is a good time for you to get the night requirements, I do advise that you be cautious. Going on a really cool flight outbound in the daytime and back at night may not be such a good idea. The terrain and routing for a very cool day VFR flight is often not good terrain and routing for a night flight. Also, if the day flight includes time on the ground exploring a distant locale, you're quite possibly going to be tired heading home and that can increase the risk dramatically.

With limited experience, especially at night, keep your routes to populated areas with numerous sources of ground lighting e.g follow major roads. A night VFR flight should always be planned to be the easiest routing possible as far as navigating and terrain clearance is concerned. You're not going to see any sights anyways, so plan the safest route possible. And if it's not in a straight line, as most roads aren't, who cares? You're simply building time and you want to survive it.

Remember, night flying introduces numerous ways to suffer from a visual illusion and you cannot protect against an illusion - by definition you're believing what you're seeing/feeling and it isn't true. You can only takes steps to mitigate the false interpretation of position that an illusion gives you and as a less experienced pilot those steps are not very well established.

One of my pet peeves is how casually some people take night VFR and I strongly recommend you not be one of them.

[Illya Kuryakin]

5X5, even now I'm far happier at night with a full moon. And toss the usual VFR minimums out the window.
Thought it called for 100 PIC night?
Nothing like being high over big cities at night. Try Las Vegas!
Illya

[Cat Driver]

Try Europe, at night a lot of Europe looks looks one big city.

[JasonE]

Illya. I am having a blast. Did 2.5 hours taking a friend up for his first flight in a GA aircraft. Flew over Halifax, and around Cape Split dodging clouds. I am enjoying every minute. We planned for the Cape Breton highlands but couldn't because of clouds. Oh well another day.

Just did Cape Breton last week. Pretty cool flight!

[Kejidog]

Bump to this again. I have been looking for some local airstrips where people somwtimes go to and camp. I was hoping to get away in the plane for a few days with my sons. I was thinking of the Quebec or eastern Ontario range. Anyone know of any hidden gems? I have checked COPA’s places to fly but it is a bit cumbersome.

[dpm]

I am looking for some perhaps must do flights on the East coast I have been as far as Moncton and over across the Minas basin to tour the Halifax area.

All good advice here, but the real fun is finding out for yourself. You own the plane! No one gets to tell you where or when you can fly (the weather and squawks will have a say).

Put a toothbrush and a change of underwear in your flightbag, so that you have no excuse not to stay overnight if things go downhill, then get out there and explore. Keep challenging yourself to do new things. Fly into CYHZ. Get a US Customs sticker and fly into Maine. Get up early and launch right at sunrise. Put a VNC on your wall and stick pins in it, then fly to wherever there aren't enough pins yet.

The first few years of ownership are magic, because there's a new world open to you that renters can't experience. If you want to go to Montreal tomorrow (and weather permits), then go! No reservations required.

[skydivepilot]

For fuel in CYFC, go to Capital Airways. You have it right by going to Cape Breton. While you are there, go to PEI too (Charlottetown, Summerside, Cable Head). Apple River, NS is a nice destination and there's a runway in Amherst too. NS has lots of great places to visit; Digby, Stanley, Liverpool, Yarmouth. Lots of smaller spots in NB too; Havelock, Sussex, Weyman, Scottsfield, Bristol, McEwen's, etc.

I spend some time working in QC and Mont-Joli is a nice strip to visit. Its easy to get there. A nice trip is to follow the NB coast north from Moncton and there are lots of places to stop; Miramichi, Bathurst, Charlo. From Charlo, follow the Matapedia to grass strip in Causapscal and then north to Mont-Joli. Across the water you have Forestville, Baie-Comeau, Sept-Iles, etc, etc. PM me any time you need a passenger

[waterdog]

There is a cool abandoned military airstrip up in northen Quebec, 171 NM from Montreal CYUL. The gps co ordinates are 47.93 N / 74.09 W and it is called Casey airport, but like I said it is abandoned. If you search Casey Camping a lot of information will come up. I haven't been there yet but it is on my list of places to visit, just keep in mind you are very isolated and need to pack and plan appropriately.

[schnitzel2k3]

If you are planning to advance, first off, get night time. You will thank me later. Next, do trips you will never get to do later. I did The Bahamas in a 150! Spent two weeks scuba diving, enjoying local rum drinks. You will thank me later. Enjoy. I'm green.
Illya

Bottom line? Forget local trips. Forget Quebec. Forget Ontario. Go out there and get EXPERIENCE! Fill 'er up and FLY young grasshopper.....FLY!!!!

If you waste 200 hours doing circuits, and practicing "speed control" I will personally come kick your butt. Fill the tanks, check the weather, and put the spurs to her. Seriously mate. Go PLAY!'

Practice your airspeed control. He won't come and kick your butt. Never wear spurs in the cockpit. He's not Australian.

We'll meet in the middle. Practice you airspeed control on final to exotic ports of call. Like Spanish Wells, Vero Beach, small airports outside Canada, night landings everywhere...... don't squander this opportunity a) doing circuits b) flying locally. Get outsid the box. Stay inside the envelope, but explore.
You're going to burn the gas anyway.
Illya

Agreed with Illya, and in addition, if you want to practice - go for your CPL and become an instructor.

The whole point of owning is to get out and see the world.

S.

[ghazanhaider]

It almost sucked to see someone suggest circuits.

I pushed my grumman (150 equivalent) as far as I could. I've been to Bahamas 3 times, Turks n Caicos and Mexico. I've flown over more than half of US states and was limited by only vacation days. You don't need experience before flying further away and in other countries, you should GAIN that experience while traveling far. Of course visit nearby fields, but you don't have to visit them 10 times for no reason other than practice and building hours.

Someone else suggested abandoned airfields and rockcliffe. Definitely do those, but absolutely do not put off traveling to the US (or Bahamas) until you have more experience. If you have a real PPL you have the required experience. Do your homework, do expect cheaper gas in the states (but the bulk of your costs come from hotel rooms) and start with traveling alone so you can push yourself further and not quite yet be responsible for another person.

Bahamas is awesome and very welcoming with a full on island culture. It's very beautiful and safe. Once you get a handle of Bahamian customs, rules and specific caribbean flying (not trusting flight plans, using Miami flight following or buddy flying, carrying bush equipment and spare plugs etc), you'll be able to fly all the way to south america given enough time. Your 172 is way more capable than my AA1.

It would be a sad sad pilot's life if you'll do circuits or draw triangles to build hours or 'gain experience'.

[Beefitarian]

I don't know if you like airplanes but I recommend flying to an airport called Dulles. They have a neat museum there.

The good old days are gone. I was in Dulles two weeks ago. It is indeed an adventure, but no VFR. To security sensitive we were told.
Illya

Well, I guess he will have to go to McMinnville Oregon. It's got a decent museum.

[Kejidog]

It almost sucked to see someone suggest circuits.

I pushed my grumman (150 equivalent) as far as I could. I've been to Bahamas 3 times, Turks n Caicos and Mexico. I've flown over more than half of US states and was limited by only vacation days. You don't need experience before flying further away and in other countries, you should GAIN that experience while traveling far. Of course visit nearby fields, but you don't have to visit them 10 times for no reason other than practice and building hours.

Someone else suggested abandoned airfields and rockcliffe. Definitely do those, but absolutely do not put off traveling to the US (or Bahamas) until you have more experience. If you have a real PPL you have the required experience. Do your homework, do expect cheaper gas in the states (but the bulk of your costs come from hotel rooms) and start with traveling alone so you can push yourself further and not quite yet be responsible for another person.

Bahamas is awesome and very welcoming with a full on island culture. It's very beautiful and safe. Once you get a handle of Bahamian customs, rules and specific caribbean flying (not trusting flight plans, using Miami flight following or buddy flying, carrying bush equipment and spare plugs etc), you'll be able to fly all the way to south america given enough time. Your 172 is way more capable than my AA1.

It would be a sad sad pilot's life if you'll do circuits or draw triangles to build hours or 'gain experience'.

Thanks for this. I feel the same way. I am looking at finally doing some US flying this spring.