I use mine too, although the Euro IR sort of overrides that – as well as making it much safer. I would not fly at night if I didn’t have complete IMC navigation and landing capability.
I find myself limited by airport opening hours, and the fact that stretching this (by e.g. diverting to EGKB) costs a few hundred quid in airport charges and 2x taxi fares.
Peter wrote:
I use mine too, although the Euro IR sort of overrides that
I don’t think it does. If one doesn’t have a NIT rating, one can technically get an IR, but still not fly at night. Oh, you meant, it overrides the recency requirements for night… yes.
Yes and yes… you get perpetual night passenger carriage privileges.
Although historically a “day only IR” was unobtainable in Europe, except in the UK and only under the table 
I knew a guy (CVD issue) who had one.
Peter wrote:
the Euro IR sort of overrides that
lionel wrote:
I don’t think it does.
I think what Peter meant is that he doesn’t fly Night VFR (presumably the main topic of the OP), which is very different from Night IFR (simply because you use instruments for navigation, terrain avoidance and approach). I think this is very relevant, because the question to obtain / use a night rating is primarily interesting for VFR. Someone with an IR will (most likely) get the rating in all cases.
I know I will probably not bother getting a night rating to fly VFR only.
Hmm, knowing what the night VFR rating actually is regarding training and flying/navigation, I cannot understand how this is even closely related to IFR. I mean flying the aircraft using mainly the instruments, yes, probably very similar, but the landing and navigating part for VFR-N is still very much VFR. Does IFR rating automatically give you VFR-N rating?
LeSving wrote:
Does IFR rating automatically give you VFR-N rating?
No, a “bare” IR is only valid during the day. In addition to an IR, you need a night rating to fly IFR at night.
You’re saying the night rating has some specifically VFR components to it (navigation etc.), which is true, however:
LeSving wrote:
Hmm, knowing what the night VFR rating actually is regarding training and flying/navigation, I cannot understand how this is even closely related to IFR.
My NIT rating training was also very much about how the flare “feels” different at night, and that is relevant for IFR. More generally, an IFR pilot should be able to make visual maneuvers, there are IFR procedures that are visual… like visual approach, circle-to-land, etc. So that is very much relevant training for IFR again. More theoretically maybe, an IFR pilot should be able to revert to VFR in case of instrument failure.
LeSving wrote:
Does IFR rating automatically give you VFR-N rating?
No.
I remember having to get a night VFR rating before starting the IR course at an ATO.
What I found bizarre was that if I wanted to take the night VFR in my twin I would have had to do it at an ATO. However, I could do a night rating in an SEP with a freelance or club instructor. Once I’d done it in the SEP, I could then fly the twin at night.
Since, I did the IR I have never flown VFR night, it has always been an IFR flight.
Peter wrote:
Although historically a “day only IR” was unobtainable in Europe, except in the UK and only under the table
Before EASA, it was meaningless to talk about “Europe” in this way as every country could make their own rules. In any case I know for a fact that Sweden officially allowed day only IR if the pilot was prevented from getting a night rating due to defective colour vision.
Before EASA, it was meaningless to talk about “Europe”
You mean, before JAA? JAA tried to force through common rules but without the authority of an EU Directive it could not do it fully. It still did quote a lot, like stopping Ireland converting FAA ATPs into JAA ones, and other useful stuff like Hungary.
