Night VFR
 

Just read a clip from the ANO that says Night VFR is not allowed in the UK. How therefore, does one exercise the priviliges of a Night Rating?
Confused of Farnham

You could try IFR. Nothing to stop a basic PPL flying IFR outside controlled airspace. Dont make the mistake of confusing IFR (rules) with IMC (met. conditions).

There is no such thing as night VFR in the UK.

In class D airspace you can fly SVFR until you leave a control zone.
Outside a control zone and indeed outside controlled airspace you legally have to fly IFR.


From what I understand you need the night rating to allow you to fly at night in VMC conditions. Obviously if you end up in bad wx or cloud then you need your IMC rating!!!

One of the considerations when flying IFR is that you should follow the quadrantal rule. Other than that the sky is yours!!!;)

And just to expand on the above. Lots of people confuse IFR flight by thinking it's flight in IMC. Not necessarily so. To fly at night you have to fly in accordance with IFR but in addition to this, if you don't have an IMC rating you have to fly in VMC conditions.

Rules 29 & 30 of the Rules of the Air are the start point. Once you read those (especially the bit about flight below 3000ft) then it all becomes more understandable. You'll have seen ATCbabe's comment about quadrantal. Again, take note about the flight below 3000ft items, where the quadrantal rule is non-effective.

CM

As the other posters have said, you can fly IFR in VMC on a PPL/NR.

I have this combination, but please take it from me that flying at night is a much different proposition to day.

BTW, CM, whats the practical difference between flying in a cloud at night and in a very dark area of VMC?

F3G

If you're in a cloud at night the strobes blind you, if you're in dark VMC they don't :D

But I know what you mean - there's certain areas of the country where I've been Night VMC but felt more comfortable flying the instruments than by reference to outside (Peak district being the closest that springs to mind). I've always felt glad that I did the IMC before the Night rating.

CM

So really it would make more sense to allow an IMC or IR holder to be able to fly at night without a NR(Q).....or have the IMC / IR to include x hours at night then give the NR as a freebee...

EA;)