Night rating/IR

[Captain Smithy]

A bit early to be asking this, considering I am yet to begin my PPL, but with an eye to "going commercial" at some point I am interested in both the Night Rating and an IR.

How many hours of instruction are required for a Night Rating? Also, do you need to fly solo, and is there some form of "test"?

Also, I have noticed that the IR seems to be tied in with the CPL. Is it possible to do the IR separately? And how many hours instruction would I be looking at?

Obviously all a long way away yet, but I am merely curious as to what to expect in the future if I go for the Night Rating and IR.

Also, one final question: are there any flight schools in Scotland that offer CPL/ATPL training? Again, a long way away, possibly never, but I'd like to know.

Cheers

Smithy

[sjeh]

How many hours of instruction are required for a Night Rating? Also, do you need to fly solo, and is there some form of "test"?

I understand it to be:
5 hours of flight training at night to include:
A minimum of 3 hours dual flight instruction including 1 hour of night navigation dual flight instruction
Remaining hours may be flown solo or dual but must include 5 solo take-offs and landings
i.e. there's no test, and the only solo you need to do is 5 take-offs and (full stop) landings.

[femaleWannabe]

Also, one final question: are there any flight schools in Scotland that offer CPL/ATPL training? Again, a long way away, possibly never, but I'd like to know.


CPL and IR can certainly be done separately - in fact, most of the time they are... try a search in the professional flying forum, there is loads of info there. As far as training in scotland goes, tayflite is the only one. http://www.tayflite.co.uk/home.htm

[helicopter-redeye]

If you were aiming for commercial you may well get to the CPL course before having an N Qualification in the PPL, and so do it as the extra 5 hours on this course (you do 10+ hr instrument as well for the CPL).

The N Qual needs 100hrs before you can do it and it is no longer a rating.

The IR can be taken as a PPL. Same course as for CPL people. There are min hours to start IR and CPL, with min quals included.

All listed here http://www.caa.co.uk/default.aspx?categoryid=175&pagetype=68&groupid=780

h-r;)

[mcgoo]

The N Qual needs 100hrs before you can do it and it is no longer a rating.

h-r;)

Not true, you can do your night qualification within the 45 hours of a PPL.

[helicopter-redeye]

Sorry, I never read the fixed wing pages of Lasors. Having done so (hurriedly) for the first time you are quite correct (within 45hrs of PPL course).

For rotary you need 100hrs before commencing.

So I guess we were both right ...:ok: Smithy did not say FW or H...

h-r;)

[Captain Smithy]

Thanks for the help, everyone.

H-R - sorry mate! It's for Fixed-Wing. Should've mentioned that.;)

Ta

Smithy

[Whopity]

It might be easier if you bought or downloaded a copy of LASORS then you could answer all of your own questions!
http://www.caa.co.uk/default.aspx?categoryid=175&pagetype=68&groupid=780
Being a commercial pilot requires you to display the ability to "self brief" Captaincy is a long way off Smithy

[Captain Smithy]

It might be easier if you bought or downloaded a copy of LASORS then you could answer all of your own questions!
http://www.caa.co.uk/default.aspx?categoryid=175&pagetype=68&groupid=780
Being a commercial pilot requires you to display the ability to "self brief" Captaincy is a long way off Smithy

Thanks for that mate... answers all my questions (I have far too many to ask...).

Indeed, captaincy is a looooooong way away...:bored:

[IO540]

I am not sure whether the objective here is to do any private flying at all or whether the original poster is purely working towards an ATPL.

The latter case I cannot comment on; I am sure there are thousands on the commercial pilot sections of pprune that can help. My simple understanding is that the JAA PPL/IR is not worth doing alone if there is the slightest possibility of wanting to go commercial; the full ATPL exams are only a bit more work. A CPL/IR is almost worthless; any commercial (airline) career will eventually require an ATPL.

On the former case, it would be pretty hard to do an IR very soon after the PPL. An IR is very hard work. One needs to get a decent bit of situational awareness into one's head beforehand. One needs to be able to fly VFR to a very high standard, holding headings and altitudes etc. Accurate flying and aircraft control has to be second nature. Even then the IR is very hard. This stage usually takes many post-PPL hours.

The NQ is trivial; you can knock it off within the PPL training. It's just a bit of night VMC flying with an instructor, in the local area. When I did mine, we got totally lost, and thought it was quite funny. Unsuprising really.

To anybody starting on the PPL route, I would also suggest that they tell their instructor(s) to meet the FAA training requirements at the same time. This is very easy to do and - particularly in the night flying department - saves scratching around for FAA-required logbook entries [much] later on.

[Captain Smithy]

I am not sure whether the objective here is to do any private flying at all or whether the original poster is purely working towards an ATPL.

The latter case I cannot comment on; I am sure there are thousands on the commercial pilot sections of pprune that can help. My simple understanding is that the JAA PPL/IR is not worth doing alone if there is the slightest possibility of wanting to go commercial; the full ATPL exams are only a bit more work. A CPL/IR is almost worthless; any commercial (airline) career will eventually require an ATPL.

On the former case, it would be pretty hard to do an IR very soon after the PPL. An IR is very hard work. One needs to get a decent bit of situational awareness into one's head beforehand. One needs to be able to fly VFR to a very high standard, holding headings and altitudes etc. Accurate flying and aircraft control has to be second nature. Even then the IR is very hard. This stage usually takes many post-PPL hours.

The NQ is trivial; you can knock it off within the PPL training. It's just a bit of night VMC flying with an instructor, in the local area. When I did mine, we got totally lost, and thought it was quite funny. Unsuprising really.

To anybody starting on the PPL route, I would also suggest that they tell their instructor(s) to meet the FAA training requirements at the same time. This is very easy to do and - particularly in the night flying department - saves scratching around for FAA-required logbook entries [much] later on.

Hi there.

It is my full intention to do as much private flying as possible. I would like to "go commercial" but that very much depends on 1. If I can afford it, or if someone will pay for my training (Ha! Fat chance!); 2. The job market; 3. Whether it's a viable change from my current career (I am in my 3rd year of a 4 year Engineering apprenticeship). My view is that the PPL is a start; if I don't do any further training, then at least I can fly privately.

Thanks for the advice.:ok:

Captain S