I loved getting my night rating all those years ago. Flying over Coventry with light reflecting from the thick cloud above into the Beagle Pup was a great experience. Apart from a few occasions afterwards, I have never used the rating - not because I'm worried about it, it just hasn't been necessary. Yes, there is a risk but I recall the words of my instructor when briefing for an engine failure, 'Aim for a dark bit then at four hundred feet, turn on the landing lights. If you don't like what you see...turn them off.'