TDM re your question in 29: All UK airspace from FL195 to FL245 becomes class C wef 15 Mar; that includes airspace presently classed A, D, F & G. it would seem logical to change the Heathrow & City Zones at the same time; nah maybe it's too logical.
NB There'll be TRA's in it for the military to use, TRA now being 'Temporary Reserved Area' not 'Temporary Restricted Airspace'.

Thanks all for the above - makes sense now :)

Wohoo!

Now, can you explain it to the rest of us?:}

Errrrm - I'll have a bash for the sake of completeness....

If Im flying at night in Class D, I'm in IMC cos it's dark, but as I can't fly under IFR in IMC, I need to fly under SVFR :)

Simple :ugh:

Unless I've got that wrong in which case I'm back to square one!

But a plain PPL can fly SVFR in Control Zone, if the route or ATZ has been notified for the purposes of Schedule 8. Most Class D Control Zones in the UK will have published Special VFR rotes or lanes that allow flight by a basic PPL down to a vis of 3km, which is the legal limit outside controlled airspace.

Stop thinking of dark as being IMC and you'll stop getting your bits in a twist ;)

I went flying the other night. 25km vis, cloud FEW 4000ft. Was I IMC?

NO!

I was VMC at night.The weather minima for VMC don't change because the sun goes down.

Ahhhh ok.

I was getting confused thinking that after dark VMC would not apply, but obviously as long as the conditions are met, it's VMC Night rather than IFR. I was just wondering as I was specifically told by ATC that I was still VFR and was wondering what they'd say 15 mins later after official night.

:)

Slopey - just to clarify

VMC & IMC - flight CONDITIONS

VFR, IFR & SVFR - flight RULES

For non IR/IMC holders with a Night rating or Qualification:

At night, you must fly in accordance with the instrument flight RULES, (If you don't know them - go read them - Rules 29 to 31 of the Rules of the Air portion of the ANO) but should fly maintaining Visual Meteorological CONDITIONS (as per your licence privileges) if you are outside Controlled Airspace.

If you wish to enter, or leave, a Control Zone, you must have a valid IR/IMC rating to fly in accordance with IFR. As you haven't got that, you enter, or leave, flying in accordance with a SVFR clearance which will still require you to remain, effectively, in Visual Meteorological Conditions, following the terms of the clearance as issued.

Yeah - got it, SVFR required in Class D as I don't have a IMC/IR. Phew!

Agreed.
However, in the UK there are 31 Class D CTRs (UK AIP ENR 1-4-5). 11 are notified for schedule 8, 20 are not.

28 CTR's actually - Solent and Strangford are CTA's and so is the Scottish TMA for all intents and purposes.

NR vs NQ
 

To butt in, anyone care to briefly explain the difference between a night qualification and a night rating? Cheers.

SPIN

Night Rating - Pre JAR, applicable to UK PPL's and BCPL's

Night Qualification - Post JAR, applicable to UK PPL's and JAA PPL's