JamesAA

I live near Moffett Field, formerly Moffett NAS (P-3 airbase back during the cold war). Anyway plenty of federal aircraft still use that field (USCG, and perhaps the ANG). A C-130 is stationed there (at least one, maybe more). It's used for search and rescue off the coast, as far as I know. On numerous occasions (like nightly) I have witnessed it at night, on landing approach, with no lights on. I think the green and red wingtip nav lights may have been on but I can't swear by that. I think I saw it on final with absolutely no lights once, and at 9pm, long after sunset--it was as dark as the night could get.
But for sure no other lights were on--no landing lights, no rotating beacon, no strobes, etc. Moffett is in the Bay Area, very close to SJC and SFO and OAK--a very HIGH traffic area with plenty of civilian aviation. KPAO (Palo Alto) is extremely close to Moffett. This isn't even an attack plane. So why the need to fly stealth and isn't that dangerous or at least banned in an area with this much air traffic?
And what are the rules governing lights? Could they have flown with no lights (including no nav lights) on final, in this highly congested area? I would've thought that's not allowed, but I do not know.

Thanks

Hetman

When you say the magic words: "National Security," a lot of laws become more like guidelines rather than actual rules.

galaxy flyer

NVG training in progress and done within in Class D airspace.

GF

tahoejace

^^^^^ What he said.

When crews train on NVG's, the landing lights from their own airplane can wash out the image in the goggles and degrade their vision. So, when they are doing practice NVG landings, they do it without their landing lights on, usually as part of an agreement with their home airfield.

The CA ANG has a rescue squadron based there, so they were probably returning home from training somewhere else, likely had their lights on until they got into the Moffett pattern, then turned them off. No big deal.

rickair7777

It's legal because the military is not bound by the FAR's. They generally abide by them where practical (and have MOU with the FAA), but not to the detriment of mission/training. Of course the services each have their own set of detailed flight rules, so those guys were not just winging it.

I would not expect a mil aircraft to fly around a place like the bay area dark on a VR route, but in the pattern is not unreasonable, especially if there's an active tower.

Yoda2

Decades ago, I almost took out a B-52, (around midnight with no moon) Never forget it, missed it by about 10 feet, literally. It was down low and externally blacked out. Only lights were dim cockpit lights on the bomber. It was not in the pattern, or class D or, on an Olive Branch route, Etc. This has been on my list to caution others about for years. (And it couldn't have been Class D anyway, as it didn't exist at the time...)