Not surprised by your story david.
Be aware, some airports with PPR PCL, ask you to pay for PCL activation, whether you actually use it or not !! I had a dilemna with a field that worked that way and that I wanted to be my alternate. Not great but it works that way.
All different rules and regulations – all over Europe… Has anyone bothered to make a list of what applies?
E.g. here in Norway we can fly at night just like it was day, as long as the visibility is better than or equal to 10 km and the ceiling is better than or equal to 2000 ft. We can also fly SVFR at night without any restrictions.
We have this incorporated in our national law. It is not in our AIP. Making a list by traversing national law could be a nightmare. Any ideas, you clever guys?
In think in most places the rules for NVFR are in AIP ENR1.2
I checked for Norway that section is very light 
Peter Mundy wrote:
The Netherlands allows night VFR for ATPL students and helicopters but for mere mortals it is a no-no
This is not so as of Jan 2020. You can fly NVFR no problem, so long as you have a flight plan and stay at least 1000 ft above the highest obstacle within 8km.
Other than the general dearth of fields with lights, I find the whole drama around NVFR in Europe very strange. Having spent the first two decades of my flying career in the US where NVFR is normal and even required to get your PPL, I just don’t get why it’s a big deal. Yes there are some important considerations/disadvantages to bear in mind, but there are also many advantages in flying at night.
No list, but overall, it‘s not that bad.
Italy doesn‘t ban it, but there are only very few airports (only a few big ones) allowing it, so it‘s of very little use.
Germany allows it, but we have the problem with the Flugleiterpflicht, hence, unless you go to the bigger airports only, you may have to get PPR and pay extra for his overtime. Inflight, since SERA, it is no longer that flights operate under an ATC enroute clearance. It‘s like flying by day now.
In France, at airfields approved for VFR by night, you have to make sure the PCL is activated before you fly somewhere.
Otherwise, in most countries which allow VFR by night, it‘s a matter of filing a VFR flightplan, remaining in radio contact with ATC and obeying higher VMC minima. It‘s regulated by SERA after all.
I would also point out that NVFR is actively encouraged by the FFA. In this area there are 3 airfields where one can night fly within 20 minutes of LFFK.
The problem is that not many want to start flying after 9.00pm in summer or on a cold winter’s night. The IR is easier timewise if not in hours of training.
Perhaps if it wasn’t permitted more people would want to do it. Human nature really.
NVFR in the uk is very easy. And a reasonable number of GA airfields as well as all the major airports have lighting.
gallois wrote:
The problem is that not many want to start flying after 9.00pm in summer or on a cold winter’s night. The IR is easier timewise if not in hours of training.
Perhaps if it wasn’t permitted more people would want to do it. Human nature really.
I can see that’s the case in France, but in the Nordic countries it is quite a different matter. Where I live – which is certainly not in northern Sweden and at about the same latitude as the southernmost parts of Norway and Finland – even on November 1 the sun sets around 15:45 and it gets dark around 16:30. On December 22 it gets dark around 15:30…
So for more than four months of the year, if you want to fly after work a night rating and an airport with lights is a must. More than half of Swedish airports have lights and about 1/3 of the VFR airports (usually club operated) do.
I can understand the value in the Nordic countries. I think here we are a little spoilt.
I did my night rating in winter. The nights started at about 1800 but it was cold and usually damp either at LFBH or LFRI. The windscreen would steam up quickly so taxiing was a pain.
Lovely views at night though. Since getting.my rating I have hardly used it, because I went on to get the IR and if I fly at night it is IFR now.
I only got the NVFR because it was a prerequisite for the IR.
Airborne_Again wrote:
There is no general requirement to have a radio when operating night VFR in classes E-G.
Indeed it’s not a general ICAO/SERA requirement but some countries even mandate two ways comms in airspace and aerodromes
Strictly, speaking you can operate NVFR in your own private aerodrome at night not talking to anyone (there are only two private AD like that in France), otherwise the situation is quasi non-existent in France,
- NVFR require continuous two way comms with FIS for cross-country
- NVFR cross-country navigation even require VOR/VOR or RNAV5 GPS
- NVFR circuits in non-controlled CAP airfields in France require Aut-Info radio with PCL for lights
ULM can’t operate at night, someone got fined and banned from all flying (some CNSK/Permits can do it)
If you want more fun, French SIV still think you need VFR clearance (radio while airborne) or VFR startup (phone to BNIA) to enter/exit Echo TMA or Echo Airway under NVFR, I am not sure if they have mandate to separate VFR vs IFR at night? or if they have mandatory Alerting Service? or they have not updated their procedures?
Seriously, who flies FL70 at night without being IR rated and IFR equipped? other than Batman
