[1FASTGLOCK45]

expatpat wrote:
Reminds me of the old advice about a forced landing at night:"When you're down to about 100ft, turn on the landing light. If you don't like what you see, turn it off again".

--.Good one!
I was wondering, don't most pilots chart out a course on a flight map? I have no piloting experience, (except for MS flight sims since before i could drive a car!). If i fly "night" on the SIm, i feel uncomfortable flying unless i plan out ahead where i'm gonna go and knowing where stuff is on a map (and this is just on a flight sim!). Also, this being a "rental" plane, they wouldn't have given him advice on flying out? I know there's so many questions.

[expatpat]

Yes, any pilot who's not incompetent would plan his flight. After getting weather information (very important), he would pick out way points along his planned route (landmarks if VFR, VOR beacons or other waypoints if IFR). IFR, this flight plan would be sent to the ATC system, and he would be cleared to follow this or another route given by ATC, and they would track him along the route to his destination.

This fellow was VFR and may or may not have filed a flight plan. He clearly made serious errors, the most egregious being his lack of fuel. His knowledge of the winds aloft may well have been inadequate, and his decision to cross the lake at night, rather than go around the lake could be questioned, although that's hindsight. Even if he hadn't runout of fuel, he could have had an engine faiure. They are not common, but the stakes are high.

In any event, the poor kid paid for it, RIP.