More night flying - up to Paraparaumu

Last Tuesday evening I undertook another dual night training flight. While I have my basic night rating, there's this requirement to do specific cross-country training [and at least 3 hours of it!] to be able to fly longer distances at night. 

This is OK from a navigation perspective, but it seems overkill to me. Oh well, I'll get it sorted and then the rating will be unrestricted. In any case, it is a good idea to know how to navigate to and land at another aerodrome in case where you take off from is closed due to weather or accident. It will also be handy if I get caught out one evening - it may allow me to return home with the last bit in darkness which would be good.

The entire flight, including a touch and go at Paraparaumu was 1 hour, so only 2 more hours of cross country training to do. I'm not sure when this will be done [except that it's highly likely to be next year], but it'll probably involve a flight from Wellington to Palmerston North.

Taking photos at night from a moving plane is hard, but our passenger, Amy, did manage this ok one from left hand downwind for runway 34 at Paraparaumu. You can just see the runway lighting in the dark patch below most of the town lights.