Night rating

Last updated May 13, 2023

A night rating permits an aircraft pilot to fly at night under visual flight rules. The alternative is flight by instrument flight rules (IFR), under which visual reference to terrain and traffic is not required.

In aviation, "night" is defined as the period from "the end of evening civil twilight to the beginning of morning civil twilight".^[1]^: 19^[2]

In EASA states and the United Kingdom, the requirements for a night rating for aeroplanes are:^[1]^: FCL.810^[3]

theoretical instruction
at least 5 hours of flight time in the appropriate aircraft category at night, including at least 3 hours of dual instruction, including at least 1 hour of cross-country navigation with at least one dual cross-country flight of at least 50 km (27 nautical miles), and 5 solo take-offs and 5 solo full-stop landings.

Different rules apply for helicopters and balloons. The night rating is a prerequisite for the issue of a Commercial Pilot Licence.^[4]

In Australia, the qualification is known as a "Night VFR rating", and requires 10 hours of flight time at night in an aircraft or simulator, including at least 5 hours of cross-country flight at night in an aircraft.^[5]

A night rating does not expire.^[3]^[5]

In the United States, there is no night rating. Night training is a prerequisite for the Private Pilot Licence. Sport pilots and recreational pilots may not fly at night.

Related Research Articles

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is the statutory corporation which oversees and regulates all aspects of civil aviation in the United Kingdom. Its areas of responsibility include:

A private pilot licence (PPL) or, in the United States, a private pilot certificate, is a type of pilot licence that allows the holder to act as pilot in command of an aircraft privately. The licence requirements are determined by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), but implementation varies widely from country to country. According to the ICAO, it is obtained by successfully completing a course with at least 40 hours of flight time, passing a written exam, completing a solo cross-country flight, and successfully demonstrating flying skills to an examiner during a flight test. In the United States, pilots can be trained under Part 141 of Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations, which allows them to apply for their certificate after as few as 35 hours. However, most pilots require 60–70 hours of flight time to complete their training. The minimum age for a student pilot certificate is 14 for balloons and gliders and 16 for powered flight. The minimum age for a private pilot certificate is 16 for balloons and gliders, and 17 for powered flight. Pilots can begin training at any age and can solo balloons and gliders from age 14 and powered aircraft from age 16.

The airline transport pilot licence (ATPL), or in the United States of America, an airline transport pilot (ATP) certificate is the highest level of aircraft pilot certificate.

A commercial pilot licence (CPL) is a type of pilot licence that permits the holder to act as a pilot of an aircraft and be paid for their work.

Pilot licensing or certification refers to permits for operating aircraft. Flight crew licences are issued by the civil aviation authority of each country, which must establish that the holder has met minimum knowledge and experience before issuing licences. The licence, along with the required class or type rating, allows a pilot to fly aircraft registered in the licence issuing state.

Pilot certification in the United States is typically required for an individual to act as a pilot-in-command of an aircraft. It is regulated by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), a branch of the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT). A pilot may be certified under 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 61 or 14 CFR Part 141. Pilots may also be certified under 14 CFR Part 107 for commercial drone operations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pilot licensing in Canada</span> Canadian aircraft pilot licensing

Pilot licensing in Canada is administered by Transport Canada under the Aeronautics Act and the Canadian Aviation Regulations (CARs).

Pilot licensing in the United Kingdom is regulated by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flight instructor</span> Person who teaches others to operate aircraft

A flight instructor is a person who teaches others to operate aircraft. Specific privileges granted to holders of a flight instructor qualification vary from country to country, but very generally, a flight instructor serves to enhance or evaluate the knowledge and skill level of an aviator in pursuit of a higher pilot's license, certificate or rating.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Type rating</span> Certification of an airplane pilot to fly a certain type of aircraft

A type rating is an authorization entered on or associated with a pilot licence and forming part thereof, stating pilot's privileges or limitations pertaining to certain aircraft type. Such qualification requires additional training beyond the scope of the initial license and aircraft class training.

General aviation in the United Kingdom encompasses a variety of commercial and non-commercial aviation activities.

General aviation (GA) has been defined as a civil aircraft operation other than a commercial air transport flight operating to a schedule. Although the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) excludes any form of remunerated aviation from its definition, some commercial operations are often included within the scope of General Aviation (GA). General aviation refers to all flights other than military and scheduled airline flights, both private and commercial.

In Australia, pilot licences are issued by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority. Licences are issued for different categories of aircraft, including aeroplanes and helicopters.

Night aviation regulations in the United States are administered and enforced by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Unlike many countries, the United States places no special restrictions on VFR flying at night.

The National Private Pilot Licence is a licence to fly UK registered aircraft within the UK. There are three Class ratings that can be included in the licence. Microlight, Simple Single Engine Aircraft (SSEA) and Self Launched Motor Glider (SLMG). Each Class has its own training syllabus.

Highland Aviation Training Ltd is an Approved Training Organisation at Inverness Airport. Highland Aviation offers flight training and aircraft maintenance, including Piper and Cessna Aeroplanes and Autogyro/Rotorsport Gyrocopters.

The light aircraft pilot licence (LAPL) is a pilot license allowing the pilot to fly small aircraft. It is issued in EASA member states and the United Kingdom. Unlike most other licences, it is not covered by the ICAO framework and is usually not able to be used in other states or regulatory areas.

A pilot logbook is a record of a pilot's flying hours. It contains every flight a pilot has flown, including flight time, number of landings, and types of instrument approaches made. Pilots also log simulator time, as it counts towards training.

Aviation in the European Union and the European Free Trade Association is regulated by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). EASA specifies common standards for the licensing of aircraft pilots. EASA does not issue licences, rather licences are issued by member states. However, because the same standards are used, EASA licences are recognised by all member states.

A multi-crew pilot licence (MPL) is a pilot licence that permits an aircraft pilot to act as co-pilot of a multi-crew aircraft.

References

1 2 "EASA Part FCL" (PDF). Retrieved 12 May 2023.
↑ "When Can You Log Night Flight And Night Landings?". www.boldmethod.com. Retrieved 12 May 2023.
1 2 "Night rating for aeroplanes". www.caa.co.uk. Civil Aviation Authority. Retrieved 12 May 2023.
↑ "Commercial pilot licence - aeroplanes". www.caa.co.uk. Civil Aviation Authority. Retrieved 12 May 2023.
1 2 "Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998. Part 61 Flight Crew Licensing. Subpart 61.O—Night VFR ratings". www.legislation.gov.au. Retrieved 12 May 2023.

This aviation-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[EASA-1] 1 2 "EASA Part FCL" (PDF). Retrieved 12 May 2023.

[Boldmethod_definitions-2] "When Can You Log Night Flight And Night Landings?". www.boldmethod.com. Retrieved 12 May 2023.

[UK-3] 1 2 "Night rating for aeroplanes". www.caa.co.uk. Civil Aviation Authority. Retrieved 12 May 2023.

[UK-CPL-4] "Commercial pilot licence - aeroplanes". www.caa.co.uk. Civil Aviation Authority. Retrieved 12 May 2023.

[Australia-5] 1 2 "Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998. Part 61 Flight Crew Licensing. Subpart 61.O—Night VFR ratings". www.legislation.gov.au. Retrieved 12 May 2023.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]