Night rating renewal 90 day rule
 

Hi guys,

Revalidating my night rating, I know I have to do three take off and landings as that's whats written everywhere.... Before carrying passengers.
My question is does it have to be from a licensed airfield ? As I can't find any more info on the exact rules ???

Thanks
Nelly

No, it doesn't.

JR

Not sure what license you have, the rules are slightly different.

FAR rules are described in Part 61.57b.
- 3 takeoffs and landings full stop on same type/class/category

JAR rules are described in FCL 2.026a and c
- 3 circuits including takeoff and landing on same type at night
- if you have an IR(H), then 3 circuits at daylight are sufficient

None of these rules say you have to do the circuits on a licensed airfield.
Note that you have to do the 3 landings on type (if there are type ratings). To illustrate:

FAA:
- 3 circuits on R22 -> you can take passengers on R22,R44,B206,..
- 3 circuits on AW139 -> you can take passengers on an AW139
JAA:
- 3 circuits on R22 -> you can take a passenger on an R22
- 3 circuits on B206 -> you can take passengers on a B206

Hi Nelly,

If you haven't flown at night for 90days then you have to do 3 take offs and landings (ideally 'circuits') before you can carry passengers. Theres no flight time minimum so 0.1 and night would suffice (but you should feel comfortable with flying at night!)

These have to be done in the aircraft type.

So all you actually have to do is lift to the hover and land 3 times in the dark - circuits are just a nice bonus but not mandated - and this is how the CAA/JAR/FAA police safe flying??????:ugh:

My understanding was that it needed to be 3 translational circuits, again though it does depend which regs you operate under.

So I could do my 3 'circuits' after not having flown at night for years and, regardless of how badly I performed, I'd be fine to take pax? Crazy. :}

A little more to than that in oz C.A.O. 40.2.2 outlines the requirements in full. In NZ however, 3 translational circuits at night is all that is required.:ugh:

Nuts eh?

I guess it relates to other threads - sensible private pilots either keep themselves current with regular practice and use the rating more as a get you home 5 minutes after officially dark when the weather is good. Landing at a well lit site or airfield.

Less sensible people might fly off in the pitch black with few references in rubbish weather.

...that means 3 IR-Approaches within the last 90 days, not only IR(H)!

skadi

@sjadi: Not correct, 3 VFR Day approaches are sufficient to carry Pax at night if you have an IR. JAR FCL 2.026 is NOT about IR currency.

@ [email protected]: JAR specifically states 3 circuits.

JAA and OGP
 

The JAA/EU Ops requirements seem unable to differentiate between an instrument approach and the subsequent visual landing.

Whilst an instrument approach is essentially the same whether day or night, the subsequent visual landing is not. Human factors includes a comprehensive section on day and night vision, seemingly overlooked by JAA/EU Ops.

Fortunately, the OGP guidelines take a more pragmatic view and require 3 night take offs and landings every 90 days and these are required to be undertaken at an offshore installation if offshore operations are conducted.

Bear in mind that the Regulatory requirements are the lowest acceptable standard, Operators may opt for more rigorous standards and other Organisations and Clients may demand them.

It always provides discussion at audit time.

Hi Guys. Are the rules different for flying helicopters at night? I have a fixed wing night rating but a very low houred ppl (h) with no extra ratings. In fixed wing in order to fly passengers you must do 3 take offs and landings in the previous 90 days. If you want to take passengers at night ONE of those take off and landings must be at night.

Anyways, went out last night to revalidate as weather was kind, did three landings at Sandtoft, in the dark, although closed, and a couple at home..
If anyone is about the doncaster area at night, nip over to brodsworth hall, each year they spend a fortune lighting the building and grounds up in neon and led lights.... Every tree, shrub and path is lit up, looks really good....

Nelly

Rules of JAR OPS3 or OGP recommendations or company-specific currency rules are yet another story here.

JAR-OPS recency requirements are stated in 3.970, it also waives the night circuits if you have an instrument rating.

JAR–FCL 2.026 is explicitly not applicable for JAR OPS 3 operations, as the title says: "Recent experience for pilots not operating in accordance with JAR-OPS 3"

JAR-FCL 1.026 requires only one night landing for fixed wing, so this is indeed a difference.

Since JAR FCL 2 has been replaced recently by EASA, the new rules from Part FCL.060 b should apply.

This basically reconciles the rules for fixed wing and helicopters:
- 3 takeoffs, approaches and landings within 90 days on same type
- for Night VFR, only one takeoff, approach and landing on same type is needed (waived if you have an instrument rating)

Note that you cannot undercut a total of 3 landings for Night VFR, since you need them to be a pax-carrying PIC under any lighting conditions. But 2 of them can be in Day VFR.

So basically the F/W rules are now valid for helos as well and the "circuit" definition from JAR FCL has been dropped (it didn't make sense anyway).

So as it turns out with the new rules, i got a bit of practice in then ?

For commercial air transportation JAR-OPS 3 is still the relevant document until EASA has time and resources to make it's own. JAR-OPS 3.970 applies as jymil says. The reason circuits are included was that some pilots just lifted to the hover then landed and repeated it three times, loaded the passengers and went off on their flight. At least with three circuits you will have about 15 minutes actual night recency.

Agree on the loophole about takeoff and landing. However, the JAR FCL wording sounded like you have to do a circuit, so it could be interpreted a takeoff from A and landing at B without doing a circuit wouldnt count for recency, which is of course B*S*. I almost always fly straight-in and out of my controlled home base airport without doing circuits (that's what is most efficient for everybody anyway).

EASA FCL defines it better in my opinion: takeoff, approach, and landing does cover both circuits and flights without doing a standard circuit, as well as ruling out mere pick-ups and set-downs from a hover for helicopters.

Curious why if you have an instrument rating you do not need night currency in Europe? I can't figure out what a straight in landing on a IFR runway in the daytime is in any way related to operating a helicopter VFR at night.

Would you let a pilot take your helicopter for a night VFR flight if all he had done was a couple of instrument approaches in daytime recently? Does any IFR helicopter operator in Europe not bother with night currency on the basis of (day) IFR currency?