Originally Posted by
Slopey
Ok, so then if I depart after official night - when I book out I should be asking for an SVFR clearance also, or would it be IFR? And as I'll be under IFR I'd have to request engine start as I'm in Class D?
Hmm, time to dig out the instructor's phone number!
Nope, you're under SVFR. Unless you want to be under IFR in which case you need an IMCR or IR and you are then no longer need SVFR just because its dark.
To all intents and purposes, inside of controlled airspace you are SVFR in IMC, and outside controlled airspace you are VFR in IMC, where IMC means its dark. As a non IMCR/IR PPL you are held to the VMC minima as modified by your licence at all times (which is why you can't have SVFR in cloud). Of course the CAA go and complicate things by saying you cannot be VFR at night since you can't actually see anything (due to it being dark), hence you're IFR. Except that its not IFR because be IFR you need a IMCR/IR. Hence the night qualification and all the confusion that abounds at this time of year...
At least thats my take on it
