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Night VFR

HeliPilot wrote:

For UK FCL licence holders, a Night Rating (Helicopter) involves:

PREREQUISITES:
- 100 hrs (post license issue)
- 60 hrs PIC
- 20 hrs cross-country

COURSE INCLUDES:
- 5hrs theory instruction
- 10hrs simulated instrument (Foggles)
- 5hr night flying (inc. 3hrs dual, 1hr x-country & 5 solo night circuits)

all of the above must be completed within a 6mo time frame

That sounds like my next challenge. I think if you could fly a piston engine helicopter competently at night nothing else would ever raise your heart rate again. I feel that becoming completely desensitized to noises, vibrations and turbulence while learning to fly the helicopter was the best part of the PPL (H) training. You get in the aeroplane after flying a heli – and nothing bothers you.

Buying, Selling, Flying
EISG, Ireland

WilliamF wrote:

You get in the aeroplane after flying a heli – and nothing bothers you.

Lose a prop blade? No biggie, I’m used to that shaking feeling! :D

Fly more.
LSGY, Switzerland

I think my slightly tongue in cheek comment fromy instructor about never flying VFR at night when you have an IR rating may have been a bit misunderstood.
I am not talking of a regulation here or of safety, but a matter of choice.
Here, for Night VFR you need to file a flight plan, just as you do for an IFR flight during an A to B flight.
VFR at night has certain visibility restrictions which are a lot less onerous on IFR.
Most of the airfields round here which have PCL lighting also have an IFR approach but even if they do not on an IFR flight you can still land visually in the same way as you would on a night vfr flight.
In IFR you don’t have the 90 day ruling, ie 1 night flight in the 90 days to carry passengers
All IFR flights are treated equally.
You don’t have to fly in clouds just beacause you are IFR. Cavok does just as well.
I assume these are just some of the reasons my examiner/instructor made his tongue in cheek comment.

France

Just discovered my club (which I joined in 2022 to renew my SEP) tightly restrict night VFR flights despite

  • having multiple night equipped aircraft
  • and being on a lighted airport (LFPN)

The “Night Flight Qualification” is reserved only for pilots wishing to obtain their Night Flight qualification as part of their professional aeronautical training (CPL, ATPL, …).
Only night flights accompanied by an instructor are allowed at the club (night solo flights are forbidden at the club). In the case of a particular wish regarding your night flight to the club (for example: extend its night flight rating for the FIs), contact our coordinator “Night Flight” at the club.

One doesn’t need enemies with friends like these

LFOU, France

The school I rent from in Florida had a safety policy update in January which included “no night flights unless the pilot has an IR or has a CFI on board” which is very similar. I don’t know if this is a result of an incident or if they employed someone to codify and enforce their in-house procedures.

EGHO-LFQF-KCLW, United Kingdom

As I am sure I posted before:

The problem is that while VFR at night is legal per ICAO, on a real proper night, away from towns etc, you can’t see anything. It is fully instrument flight. This opens the avenue for somebody to argue that an IR should be needed (or IMCR in the UK).

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

Capitaine wrote:

The school I rent from in Florida had a safety policy update in January which included “no night flights unless the pilot has an IR or has a CFI on board” which is very similar. I don’t know if this is a result of an incident or if they employed someone to codify and enforce their in-house procedures.

My ATO at Toussus used to require 3 takeoffs & 3 landings every 90 days at night for any night flight (this was in-house rule that applies regardless who is flying even for those exempt with instructor & instrument ratings)

Last Edited by Ibra at 17 Oct 14:34
Paris/Essex, France/UK, United Kingdom

I would not want to fly night VFR with less currency

EHLE / Lelystad, Netherlands, Netherlands

ACHS (LFPT) requires an annual night flying checkout with an FI, in addition to the annual (day) club checkout.
These measures make some kind of sense.

LFOU, France

I would not want to fly night VFR with less currency

That is how FAA does it but it’s hard to keep that going? I guess it depends on runway length & lights? surely, the a*** clenching flare in Stapleford 600m pavement with few sub-ICAO lateral lights in middle of Epping forest is nothing compared to night landing on ILS 3000m runway with full Cat2 lights ON

Paris/Essex, France/UK, United Kingdom
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