Night Rating

Night Rating

Night flying is very different to day time. It provides more variety and experience to your flying. The darkness adds another layer of mystery to the beauty of piloting. If you fly from airfield like Elstree that is on the edge of a metropolis like London, the views are stunning.

The course itself is a minimum of 5 hours long, 3 of which must be dual flight training. You have to complete 5 solo full-stop take-offs and landings at night under supervision. You will complete night circuits, navigation and emergency procedures.

There are no flight tests or exams involved, just a form and the rating fee to be send to the CAA. The training must be completed within 6 months of starting it. On completion of the Night Rating you will be entitled to fly between official night and official day (30 minutes after sunset, and 30 minutes before sunrise respectively). A Night Rating can also be invaluable if you get delayed on your way during a flight and need to land at night, instead of diverting to a different airfield in order to land in daytime.

The training can only be done during the winter months between the clock changes in October and March on Tuesday & Wednesday evenings.

For those thinking of becoming a professional pilot, it is also a requirement to hold a night rating for the grant of a commercial pilot’s licence.

Basic Course Requirements:

The following is a list of items needed in order to complete the Night Rating:

Course pre-requisites: None (However LAPL holders will need to complete the basic instrument appreciation requirement that a PPL holder needed to complete to gain a PPL, prior to commencing training for a night rating)

5 Hours Flight Time (Min 3 hours dual training of which at least 1 must be a dual cross country flight of at least 27nm, as well as 1 hour of solo full stop circuits.

Course Theory Exams: None

Course Skills Test: None

Once you have your night rating, in order to carry passengers at night you must have done at least 3 take offs and landings in the last 90 days. At least one of those take offs and landings must be at night.

Please contact us for more information.

1

Course pre-requisites

None, however LAPL holders will need to complete the basic instrument appreciation requirement that a PPL holder needed to complete to gain a PPL, prior to commencing training for a night rating.

2

5 Hours Flight Time

5 Hours Flight Time (Min 3 hours dual training of which at least 1 must be a dual cross country flight of at least 27nm, as well as 1 hour of solo full stop circuits.

3

No exams

There are no flight tests or exams involved.