Nighttime Landing for Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (SUAS)

What should you consider when landing an SUAS at night?

1) A suitable landing area with good lighting
2) A random landing area without considering lighting
3) A landing area with obstacles
4) A landing area with poor visibility

Answer:

When landing an SUAS at night, it's best to select a suitable landing area with good lighting to clearly observe any potential hazards and minimize the chances of light pollution, which can cause distortion in visibility.

Landing a SUAS (Small Unmanned Aircraft System) at night is indeed challenging due to various factors such as darkness, bad visibility, and potential obstacles. When selecting a landing area for the SUAS, you should always opt for a suitable landing area with good lighting. Good lighting provides a clear view of any potential hazards such as obstacles. Moreover, an area with good lighting minimizes the chances of light pollution that can distort visibility due to the scattering of light. Bad visibility and turbulence can also result in blurred star images which can cause optical illusions or 'bad seeing'. Therefore, a suitable landing area would ideally be a site that is dry, well-lit, and far from cities or sources of light pollution.