night rating worth doing?

[Pilot.Lyons]

What are peoples thoughts on this?

Is it worth doing?

[flyinkiwi]

It depends on what you are flying, how often you fly, the reasons you are flying, and the kind of trips you are taking.

If you are planning to get an instrument rating a night VFR rating is required (well, at least in my part of the planet).

Just like any other rating, the night rating requires you to fly at night from time to time to remain current. So that's just more money you need to cough up. I am not trying to dissuade you from getting one, flying VFR on a clear calm night is a magical experience.

['India-Mike]

It's a night qualification remember rather than a rating (well here at least;))

Worth doing? Anything that challenges and pushes one is worthwhile doing in my opinion. But I've yet to meet someone who uses the qualification in anger.

I've instructed half a dozen over the past three years; but they've all been people moving towards a modular CPL where there is a night flying requirement.

Personally I thoroughly enjoy conducting night qualifications, but remain very, very wary of SEP night ops, and try very hard to emphasise the risk management (risk-taking?) inherent to the activity.

[thing]

I did it just so I can fly for the other 12 hours of the day if I need to. There are regular 'grub'nights that our club members go off to, I think Thursday night at Leicester is curry night (no surprise there then!) and Conington do a chicken night I think on a Thursday.

Look at it this way, it's only five hours, it's another challenge and if you do get stuck somewhere for some reason until dark o' clock then you're not looking for a hotel and possibly missing a day at work. Providing you fly from somewhere that has someone that will bung the lights on, which luckily I do, I think it's worth a punt. I can't say I'm going to go off night flying all the time, which ever way you look at it there are more risks involved in the event of a donk failure, but it's just nice knowing that I don't have to rush around like an idiot just to make the 30 minute after sunset rule.

By the way, the rule in the UK is that to carry passengers at night you must have done at least one take off and landing at night within the last 90 days. Personally I wouldn't carry non pilot passengers at night in an SEP, unless it was literally to see the lights of the local city staying within glide distance of the airfield or unless I (or they) really needed to get back from somewhere.

Edit: And I suppose good airmanship would say that you don't put yourself in a position where you or they need to get back from somewhere at night.

[Pilot.Lyons]

Hi guys thanks for your comments.. I only have a ppl a and was thinking about imc and night qulification but its all a big expense and was thinking about it notbeing financially worth it.

I love flying and learning more and more but unfortunately my wallet cant help me much further so was thinking like.. What can i do now within my limits and whats worth doing and not (financially)

Id love to go all the way to cpl and atpl but thats a dream ill never achieve unless i win lotto of course!:D

[Pilot.Lyons]

Thing... Where do you fly from?

I did leicester for my qxc and i like the bar/restuarant great views.

Although sometimes they can be a little funny on radio

Dare say "join information" and tou will be reminded with a big fat "negative join info...." hehe made me chuckle though

[thing]

If you're going to do the IMC then you need to be getting on with it. I don't think the night qualification is going to be affected by EASA land.

[thing]

Waddington, big airbase tacked onto the side of Lincoln. 3000 metre runway, ILS, PAR, (did one today actually, makes you feel like a real pilot although the dream doesn't last long...)top instructors, dancing girls, the whole shooting match, feel exceptionally lucky as a mere civilian to be flying from there. (You never know who's reading these....:))

[Pilot.Lyons]

Hell yeah, lucky man

Im out of tatenhill.... Not quite the same set up but very good runway and plenty of well maintained aircraft....

Cafes a bit small but still a pleasant field to fly out of

[Maoraigh1]

Get it. If you fly in the afternoon in December you might have to do a night landing - technique - before official night. Night landings count as such on a clear night, with a full moon, but I've logged a day landing, 10 minutes before official night, in rain with thick cloud, which was a true night landing.

[JOE-FBS]

Three years into having a PPL. I got an IMCR a year go and it's brilliant. If you have a full PPL and can afford it, I recommend it without caveats. The latest on its future is here:

Future of the UK IMC Rating (http://www.aopa.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=581:future-of-the-uk-imc-rating&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=247)

Hint, join AOPA!

Back on topic, I have just done a NQ and have really enjoyed it. Becuase my home airfield is day only, I don't expect to use it much but I did enjoy getting the training; it is another safety net; and I will use it to share the special experience with passengers occasionally. So, if it is practical for you then I would say "why not?".

I have not seen anything said from anyone credible about what happens to night flying under part FCL (there are threads here and on the other place full of knee jerk Daily Express EU bashing speculation but as I say nothing credible). Maybe BEagle or someone out there who actually knows could post, please?

PS I would have been a lot less comfortable doing my NQ if I had not already got my IMCR. The blind flying and radio nav' skills are very relevant.

[Obi_Wan]

It's definitely worth doing. If nothing else, it's good to continue learning, and it means that evening flights once the clocks change in the UK can still happen.


"night qualification.. is all a big expense and was thinking about it not being financially worth it"
The IMC is a reasonable outlay in terms of cost with regard to flying hours, exam fees and time to study, but you do get more freedom. The night qual is 5 hours (minimum) flying. That’s it. In terms of what it lets you do, (fly in the dark) it’s probably the biggest addition for the least outlay you can get.

[mad_jock]

Normally I would say wait for a bit and give it a summer.

But with all the changes coming through I would get it ASAP if you can.

It keeps you legal if you get caught although I do wonder how many people bust the PAX rule getting caught late or even without the qulification.

Nobody ever seems to get done for it.

[jollyrog]

I fly from Biggin and can go flying after work in the winter. There are plenty of places open at night in the South/South East.

Always think about alternates, where will I go if I can't go home.

[thing]

Lyons, took this yesterday, the view from our club. Not bad eh.

http://i1081.photobucket.com/albums/j355/thing56/Tornado1.jpg

[Fuji Abound]

Probably not.

Many do - for the experience, for possibly some extra skill set it gives and in case they arrive home late, and by all means do,

but, in reality very few use the rating possibly other than a bimble around the local area after dark before the airport closes,

and that is the point, so few places stay open late, and most people are sufficiently nervous of flying any distance in the dark that in reality they dont use the rating - just the way it is in my experience.

In terms of worthwhile things to do I would place the IMCr top, then an IR, then (for the fun of it, and the handling skills) an aerobatic course, then a night rating (which you will not need in any event once you have your IR).

[Pilot.Lyons]

Thing.... Love it!

:D

[Pilot.Lyons]

Fuji ... Thats the sort of lines i was thinking along ( most fields need to stay open and switch lights on) i would love to do imc too but just cant fund it now and then it would be too late

Shame but its life! Im working on the funding ;) .... (nan!)

[JOE-FBS]

First line of the AOPA page about the IMCR to which I linked says there is no deadline for getting an IMCR (it seemed there would be for a while but according to that, no longer).

[Pilot.Lyons]

Brill! Sorry joe didnt have time to look ill read it in a bit thanks