Flying into sunset is certainly not for the faint of heart. If performed in known regions of non-electrical hazards and on moonlit nights, night flight can probably be accomplished without too much danger. I suspect that the Arctic Circle or the Mojave desert would be good flying locations. Aside from the fact that the recovery logistics may prove to be daunting: trying to locate a snow cat or a camel after dark could be tough.
We had a night flyer in Atlanta back in the 1970’s. You know the type - an egomaniac, flash in the pan, superhuman, God’s gift to aerostation. On a private ticket with 15 hours of flight time, he decided to tie in with the Muscular Dystrophy Association to raise money for the charity. You know - the old shared expense routine. He decided that a flight launching at 9 PM over Atlanta with a lighted envelope would create great publicity for the cause, and boot him into the record books for super aviation feats.
After having banners built for the envelope, and after having a light mount attached beside the burners to light the banners brilliantly, he completed his preparations for the fateful evening. He selected for his launch site a spot just outside the control zone of the Peachtree-DeKalb Airport, in northeast Atlanta. He planned to fly over one of the most commercially developed areas of the city.
After inflation, he installed a generator in the basket, and lifted off in a north- northwest direction. Winds were less than 10 knots. Things began to get interesting almost immediately, as the generator began to fill the basket with exhaust fumes. After enduring the fumes for several minutes, he decided to climb up on the edge of the basket. Needless to say, the knowledgeable local populace, seeing the pilot sitting high on the basket rail at night, were convinced that the balloon was in trouble, and began to flood the emergency number with their excited calls.
Initially, the area he passed over had enough lights to provide ground reference and to permit him to maintain proper altitude. As the flight progressed into one of the most populated suburban regions of Atlanta, lighted ground clutter turned into dark forested neighborhoods with Georgia Power distribution lines forming a spider web of destruction. As the balloon drifted towards an area where three metropolitan counties merge, in the darkness of suburbia, the pilot began to find that he had limited ground vision because of night blindness. Fifteen hundred watt bulbs lighting up the envelope did not allow his eyes to adjust to the surrounding darkness. I can only imagine what went through his mind when he discovered how hard it would be to see the wires once a landing site was decided upon.
A local balloonist named Tony Lespisa decided to offer assistance during the flight preparations, in hopes of heading off a disaster in the making. The arrogant, "know-it- all pilot" could not be dissuaded from his appointment with destiny. Tony, with great concern and apprehension, decided to give chase and to offer as much help as possible. In a short time, Tony was joined in his pursuit, sirens wailing and lights flashing, by the fire and emergency units from three counties. With Tony in the lead, they were able to intercept the balloon track and be under the balloon during its descent. Using citizen band radio, he called out the position of powerlines and substations. He was even able to direct the pilot to begin a tree top level ripout for landing, to avoid contact with powerlines over which he had just passed on the approach. To say that this pilot received plenty of publicity for this "amazing feat of aviation showmanship" would be an understatement.
In another incident several months later, the pilot said his tether line broke, resulting in another night flight in a rural Georgia county. Investigating a landowner call regarding an aircraft crashing at night, the sheriff wrote up a report of a balloon flying after dark. The FAA District Office received a copy of this report, and an inspector was assigned to the case. The pilot ended up before a law judge. He decided that the FAA was out to get him, and that he would defend himself on the charge.
After extensive investigation, the only evidence available to the FAA was his own admission of flying after dark. Apparently his knowledge of jurisprudence paralleled his judgement as a pilot. Had he retained proper counsel, he might have taken the fifth, and won. Since the Sheriff was acting on hearsay, and there were no eyewitnesses to a balloon in flight, his report probably would not have been admissible evidence.
Upon completion of the hearing, the judge decided that a six-month suspension of his license would be the punishment. Well, the pilot threw a fit in the hearing room, tore his license up into little pieces, and threw them at the FAA inspector, who could not have been more pleased. The local ballooning community breathed a collective sigh of relief when they heard that his equipment was for sale. He left town shortly thereafter.
Night flying requires considerable preparation and skill, and should not be entered into lightly. For example, fuel consumption increases because there is no solar heating. Before attempting it, one should learn from a night flyer with as much time as possible logged under NFC (night flying conditions).
Good judgement is the precursor to safe pilotage.