New this year for IFR pilots, New (No) Moon Flyers. The night does not get any darker and the terrain disappears.
This month, the official New Moon is March 13th and if you are IFR current and proficient, lets fly to Castle (KMER) and back sometime from March 11 through March 16th. . The valley is peaceful, the air is usually calm and the runway long. While single pilot IFR is legal, these night flights are the real deal and having a second IFR pilot in the cockpit is always a good idea. This is the time to really use the PAVE mnemonic before the flight.
Be safe up there.
