Night VFR

Speaking from my limited experience of flying VFR at night in France from an airport with PCL, the few club pilots with this privilege are extremely careful and cautious. In practical terms that means we won't fly unless it's pretty much guaranteed CAVOK all the way, and little or no wind. Yes, things can go wrong, but we take a zero-risk attitude and try and put all the chances on our side from the start.

The base is a fantastic place: no restrictions (24/24), no charges (or perhaps something modest for non-based aircraft), PCL - so you can rock up at 2 am, drag the DR400-160 out and off you go, if that's your idea of a good night out

We're very lucky to have so much freedom.

And yet, despite having all the facilities on the doorstep, only a handful of pilots have the VFR night qualification - most seem to find the notion of flying at night in a SEP unappealing.

VFR night is rare in Germany, most pilots don't like it and most GA aerodromes close at sunset. The VFR night qualification is 5 extra hours of flying with a FI. VFR night is permitted in Germany but it is a bit special. You are required to be on a flight plan and establish two way communication with ATC. It is treated a bit like IFR in that you need clearances. However, you would typically get whatever clearance you desire. It's also typical to fly above the MSA, just like for IFR so there is no danger of hitting terrain.

I think the historical reason for the IFR like night VFR is the military low altitude night flying system. In reality, there is virtually no low altitude military traffic due to noise and cost.

Here in Canada, Night VFR is pretty unregulated. If you carry passengers there is a little more regulation. There are certain mountainous areas, where obviously great caution is necessary. Personally, I have not night flown these areas. In other quasi mountainous areas, just fly high.

The greater challenge can be that of no useable horizon for reference. Not because of low vis, but simply because depending upon where you are, there is not much ahead of you which is illuminated. This is the same as flying near off shore at night. The most publicized case of this being JFK Jr. loosing reference then control. I have flown that, and similar routes, where even on a clear night, there is nearly nothing ahead of you to look at.

I fly at night from my home runway, which for the first 50 feet altitude after takeoff, has no visual cues what so ever. This requires discipline to refer to instruments right away, and assure, and maintain a positive rate, and the appropriate speed wings level. My runway started out as reflectors only, but that poses real challenges landing in a crosswind, as the landing light may not be well aligned with the runway. Some time ago I put lights at the four corners. More recently the LED lawn lights have proven to be perfect.

The other hazard can be that of changing visibility or overflying newly formed ground fog. I have blundered into this a few times, where you were not seeing the ground because of the darkness, now you're not seeing it because of the dark fog. You descend, and now you're in it. I landed once in these conditions, being talked down at a remote airport by ATC, who were very used to handling this situation. Of course, the best is to divert, as long as the formation of the fog is not so far and wide that you cannot get to an edge!

If it's really dark, you have to know that if it quits, it's that black hole down there into which you are about to land, and it's probably going to be messy. Additional confidence in the airworthiness of the aircraft is wise.

That all said, on a clear night, in a populated area, Night flying can be very beautiful. Some full moon nights offer a view of the ground like a dark day.

I have held my Night Rating for a few years now, and yet, have flown very little at ''night''. Not for the want of not doing it, simply, getting the time to fly, when weather is reasonable, and getting all of the ducks to line up. The stuff that generally will stop us flying during the day, hinders even more at night.

That said, the opening up of regulation which allows more freedom, is positive, and in my experience, pilots show a lot more care and diligence when night flying. The sensible pilot, will of course have experience, if not rated, for instruments, when flying at night. I rememeber the first flights of my rating, and it is 'very different'. The biggest shock was not being able to see the runway lights in the middle of the downwind, until my instructor highlighted it was designed that way!!!

I don't fly much at night, only the odd late landing or the early take off. Last year I had to wait 15 mins in Cologne holding short of the runway, they didn't allow a night VFR take off due to controller workload. Too much hassle 45 mins to sunrise.

Nice to see a new forum. I'll contribute and see how it develops. This thread is as good as any to start off.

In Sweden, VFR NQ is allowed under JAR-FCL. EASA Part FCL is delayed until 2013, but nothing has been announced that points to it being removed.

The weather minima are stricter than for day VFR. On Top, which is allowed in the day-time, is not allowed at night. To carry passengers, one of the three mandatory landings in the last 90 days has to be at night. As a result, the first night flight for the season is always solo.

Personally, I don't use my NQ as an insurance in case a flight gets delayed. But night conditions in the winter make for spectacular flying: still air and great visibility. As a positive side effect, the night training makes the pilot more precise and more adept at using radio nav as an additional navigation tool.

For someone who wants to get IR, NQ is a prerequisite in Sweden.

/Peter (known elsewehere as "akg1486")

Off the top of my head, I can remember only one accident in Sweden FIR related to night flying; it was a few years ago now. A VFR flight at night was arriving at ESMS Malmö after crossing the southern Baltic Sea from Germany just after sunset. During descent, they encountered fog/clouds. According to the report, the pilot got disoriented and went into a sprial dive.

To me, unwittingly entering IMC while flying VFR at night is more dangerous than mountains. Which, of course, is why the weather minima are stricter. Accident statistics measured as accidents per thousand hours (or whatever) is probably not a good benchmark since not many hours are flown. A little bit like when the Concorde went from the safest to the most dangerous aircraft type after a single accident.

I have held a NQ for many years but living in The Netherlands is a problem in as much as night flying must be IFR and you must hold an IR. So we go off to Germany, make it an overnight stay and enjoy the food and beer.

My personal minimum is that I want guaranteed CAVOK for cross country - otherwise I stick to night circuits - still one of my favourite forms of flying