Night flying VMC/IFR
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Night flying VMC/IFR
How do people interpret the rules regarding flying at night time?
Returning from offshore to a non-coastal airfield at night time, according to our ops-manual, we can fly visual contact flight if the weather is 1200 feet and 5000 m or better. This allows us to fly overland at 1000 feet AGL, with visual references.
If the weather meets this criteria, are we then exempt from the need to carry alternate fuel ie if we fly in VMC conditions at night time, are we exempt from the IFR requirement for an onshore alternate, considering there is no such thing as VFR at night time? The crux of the matter in winter is that with the S76 having no icing clearance, we would spend a large proprtion of the winter months being unable to plan to fly to any alternates due to freezing levels being below MSA (or MOCA).
This issue comes up every winter, and would be grateful to hear other peoples views.
Thanks, Andy
Returning from offshore to a non-coastal airfield at night time, according to our ops-manual, we can fly visual contact flight if the weather is 1200 feet and 5000 m or better. This allows us to fly overland at 1000 feet AGL, with visual references.
If the weather meets this criteria, are we then exempt from the need to carry alternate fuel ie if we fly in VMC conditions at night time, are we exempt from the IFR requirement for an onshore alternate, considering there is no such thing as VFR at night time? The crux of the matter in winter is that with the S76 having no icing clearance, we would spend a large proprtion of the winter months being unable to plan to fly to any alternates due to freezing levels being below MSA (or MOCA).
This issue comes up every winter, and would be grateful to hear other peoples views.
Thanks, Andy
Last edited by AndyJB32; 21st Dec 2007 at 14:26.
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Yes, it's that time of year again! Earlier this week was a good example when the 'O dark hundred' weather in central England became suddenly worse than the forecast. My night flight (transit, pickup the owner, transit to drop him off at a private HLS, transit home) was theoretically achievable without refuelling but my 'hunch' was to top it up to the gunwhales with expensive at EGLW (on first arrival at the aircraft in receding daylight the aircraft was wringing wet with condensation).
On my return to my base airport, the next airliner down the ILS went around... The nearest airfield to the drop-off HLS suddenly went from 8 kms to "2000m, shallow fog" as I listened to the ATIS on the way past; I had noticed ground lighting disappearing all around my track so the last leg home was flown "fully IFR" to the ILS. The "home" ATIS changed at least 2 times (conditions rapidly decreasing) during the 25 minute leg home.
My own interpretation:
If the planned destination becomes unsuitable for weather reasons after the aircraft lifts off, it could no longer be completed in "visual contact flight" so the flight must then be conducted under IFR in the normal "full" meaning of the expression.
In this case the options are to fly an instrument approach at the original destination, if available, or divert, possibly back to the point of departure.
You must be able to complete said approach, either at the planned destination, or at an alternate and should carry sufficient fuel for this eventuality. Once you have lost the "Visual contact" option, the flight cannot be completed as planned, so unless "full" IFR reserves were taken in the first place (including holding fuel at the alternate).....you are in an awkward situation.
The grey area to which I think you allude: Must you carry full IFR fuel in the first place, irrespective of the forecast, or can you carry "Visual contact" fuel to the planned destination with full IFR reserve only to the alternate?
I think the captain must be allowed to elect to do so, at his discretion even if it means reducing the passenger load. This means a good captaincy call before departure, having looked at the forecast and looked a little beyond it.... as often happens, it's the pilots' licences on the line to allow the operator to do the job in the first place.
It sounds like the Ops Manual ought to be more clear in this respect.
On my return to my base airport, the next airliner down the ILS went around... The nearest airfield to the drop-off HLS suddenly went from 8 kms to "2000m, shallow fog" as I listened to the ATIS on the way past; I had noticed ground lighting disappearing all around my track so the last leg home was flown "fully IFR" to the ILS. The "home" ATIS changed at least 2 times (conditions rapidly decreasing) during the 25 minute leg home.
My own interpretation:
If the planned destination becomes unsuitable for weather reasons after the aircraft lifts off, it could no longer be completed in "visual contact flight" so the flight must then be conducted under IFR in the normal "full" meaning of the expression.
In this case the options are to fly an instrument approach at the original destination, if available, or divert, possibly back to the point of departure.
You must be able to complete said approach, either at the planned destination, or at an alternate and should carry sufficient fuel for this eventuality. Once you have lost the "Visual contact" option, the flight cannot be completed as planned, so unless "full" IFR reserves were taken in the first place (including holding fuel at the alternate).....you are in an awkward situation.
The grey area to which I think you allude: Must you carry full IFR fuel in the first place, irrespective of the forecast, or can you carry "Visual contact" fuel to the planned destination with full IFR reserve only to the alternate?
I think the captain must be allowed to elect to do so, at his discretion even if it means reducing the passenger load. This means a good captaincy call before departure, having looked at the forecast and looked a little beyond it.... as often happens, it's the pilots' licences on the line to allow the operator to do the job in the first place.
It sounds like the Ops Manual ought to be more clear in this respect.
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Lots of documents suffer from the same confusion - many of them written by the CAA. If you look back on some PPRUNE Rotorhead threads, you will find that quite a few UK hele pilots remain a little confused too.
