Night, as defined by FAR 1.1, means the time between the end of evening civil twilight and the beginning of morning civil twilight, as published in the Air Almanac, converted to local time
Taxi/landing lights should be on any time airborne (see below) and when required on ground but not to the extent that other pilots will be blinded
Anti-collision/Strobe lights are required from engine start to shut down but again, not to blind as per FAR 91.209
Allow extra time for preflight and use a white lens flashlight to see fluids
Taxi on the middle of the taxiway
Night operations require half the speed, twice the caution
Perform everything with half the speed and twice the caution
Internal lights/displays must be as dim as possible while still being readable
Night Defined:
Night is defined differently according to the operation and conditions of flight
Night is generally understood as the time between sunset and sunrise
FAR 91.209, in describing use of aircraft lights, uses this defintion with the caveat that in Alaska, sunset/night is during the period a prominent unlighted object cannot be seen from a distance of 3 statute miles or the Sun is more than 6° below the horizon
FAR 91.157, special VFR weather minimums, uses this definition with the caveat that in Alaska, the Sun must be 6° or more below the horizon
FAR 1.1 defines night as "the time between the end of evening civil twilight and the beginning of morning civil twilight, as published in the "Air Almanac, converted to local time"
The Aeronautical Information Manual defines civil twilight as "Civil twilight is defined to begin in the morning, and to end in the evening when the center of the Sun is geometrically 6 degrees below the horizon"
FARs regarding logging certificate requirements use this definition
Pilots looking to log night time for own purposes (FARs do not require logs outside of certificate or passenger currency requirements), use this definition
FAR 107.29, operation at night, defines civil twilight as the 30 minutes after official sunset and 30 minutes before official sunrise, with the caveat in Alaska as civil twilight is as defined in the Air Almanac
Regarding recency of experience, "no person may act as pilot in command of an aircraft carrying passengers during the period beginning 1 hour after sunset and ending 1 hour before sunrise, unless within the preceding 90 days that person has made at least three takeoffs and three landings to a full stop during the period beginning 1 hour after sunset and ending 1 hour before sunrise"
FAR 61.57, in describing currency for carrying passengers at night, uses this definitions
Sunset and sunrise times Sunset and sunrise times Sunset and sunrise times may be found at the Naval Observatory Website at https://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/RS_OneYear
Disorientation:
If you have to look around the cockpit, try to do so in non-maneuvering flight with minimal head movements
If you become disoriented, reduce workload as much as possible and concentrate on flying the aircraft straight and level with reference to the HUD
You may need to execute unusual attitude recoveries
Consider engaging the autopilot
Stick to the principles, AVIATE, NAVIGATE, COMMUNICATE
Equipment Requirements:
Pilot Equipment:
Consider personal equipment that should be readily available during the flight
The white light is used while performing the preflight visual inspection of the airplane, and the red light is used when performing cockpit operations
Carry extra batteries
Since the red light is non-glaring, it will not impair night vision
Flashlights, such as the Mike Light 3 [Amazon], can be attached to your mic boom to ensure continuous accessibility
The lights of cities and towns can be seen at surprising distances at night, and if this adjacent chart is not available to identify those landmarks, confusion could result
S - Source of energy (adequate to power all electrical and radio equipment)
Instrument Flight Rules:
Day/Night IFR (GRABCARD):
G - Generator or alternator
R - Rate of turn indicator (turn coordinator or turn & bank indicator)
A - Altimeter, sensitive, adjustable for barometric pressure (Kollsman window)
B - Ball (slip-skid indicator [inclinometer])
C - Clock (digital or analog displaying hours, minutes, and seconds)
A - Attitude indicator
R - Radios (radio communication and navigation equipment suitable for the route to be flown)
D - Direction (gyroscopic) indicator (directional gyro or heading indicator)
Airplane Flying Handbook, Position Lights
Inoperative Equipment:
If any other item is inoperative, 14 CFR section 91.405 states that it shall be placarded as required by Sec. 43.11
Following scheduled inspections:
Aircraft shall have discrepancies repaired unless it is permitted to be in operative by 91.213
Maintenance personnel shall make appropriate entries in the aircraft maintenance records indicating the aircraft has been approved for return to service
Equipment impacting safety of flight must be repaired, but items that are not required may remain inoperative indefinitely provided they are appropriately placarded
Passenger Requirements:
Passengers may not be carried if one hour after sunset until one hour before sunrise without night currency requirements having been satisfied, per FAR 61.57
Airplane position lights are arranged similar to those of boats and ships
A red light is positioned on the left wingtip, a green light on the right wingtip, and a white light on the tail
This arrangement provides a means by which pilots can determine the general direction of movement of other airplanes in flight
If both a red and green light of another aircraft were observed, the airplane would be flying toward the pilot, and could be on a collision course
Landing lights are not only useful for taxi, takeoffs, and landings, but also provide a means by which airplanes can be seen at night by other pilots, and by birds to avoid strikes
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has initiated a voluntary pilot safety program called "Operation Lights ON"
The "lights on" idea is to enhance the "see and be seen" concept of averting collisions both in the air and on the ground, and to reduce the potential for bird strikes
Pilots are encouraged to turn on their landing lights when operating within 10 miles of an airport
This is for both day and night, or in conditions of reduced visibility
Although turning on aircraft lights supports the see and be seen concept, pilots should not become complacent about keeping a sharp lookout for other aircraft
Most aircraft lights blend in with the stars or the lights of the cities at night and go unnoticed unless a conscious effort is made to distinguish them from other lights
Light arrangements help determine movement of flight of other airplanes
Pilots are encouraged to turn on their landing lights when operating within 10 miles of an airport (day or night)
At the conclusion of night operations, reset all the switches for day, as such, check after the aircraft has flown at night to make sure the previous pilot did not forget
Airport and Navigation Lighting Aids:
A variety of Airport lighting standards exist for the terminal as well as enroute environment
Control of Lighting Systems:
Control of lighting systems in the airport environment can be adjusted through ground and air based mechanisms
Ground Control of Lighting Systems:
Operation of approach and runway lighting may be adjusted at the pilot's discretion and is generally controlled by the Air Traffic Control Tower (ATCT)
At some locations, where there is no control tower in operation, the local Flight Service Station (FSS) may control the lights
Pilot Controlled Lighting:
Radio control of lighting is available at selected airports to provide airborne control of lights by keying the aircraft's microphone
Control of lighting systems is often available at locations without specified hours for lighting and where there is no control tower or FSS or when the tower or FSS is closed (locations with a part-time tower or FSS) or specified hours
Airport and heliport beacons help identify airports/heliports during low-light conditions
They have a vertical light distribution to make them most effective from one to ten degrees above the horizon; however, they can be seen well above and below this peak spread
The beacon may be an omnidirectional capacitor-discharge device, or it may rotate at a constant speed which produces the visual effect of flashes at regular intervals
Once on the ground, taxiway lights guide pilots to their destination
Runway Status Light System:
Although uncommon at general aviation airfields, pilots may be required to observe a Runway Status Light System, designed to increase a pilot's situational awareness of an airfield's status
At night, weather phenomena as simple as clouds can be difficult to identify, making an instrument rating a valuable safety mitigation
To help find an airport at night, consider dialing the OBS of the HSI or other indicator to the runway heading and if possible, using the airport as a GPS point
Approaches and Landings:
Airplane Flying Handbook, Round-out when tire marks are visible
Rotating beacons help locate the airport
The runway lights must be identified prior to an approach
The tendency at night is to fly a wider pattern
Setting a heading bug to the runway direction will help gain and maintain situational awareness
Distance can be deceptive
Consequently you must be vigilant and paying attention to your instruments
Fly at or above a glide slope if you have one
At night, the judgment of height, speed, and sink rate is impaired by the scarcity of observable objects in the landing area
The inexperienced pilot may have a tendency to flare too high until attaining familiarity with the proper height for the correct round-out
To aid in determining the proper round-out point, continue a constant approach descent until the landing lights reflect on the runway and tire marks on the runway can be seen clearly
Blackout landings (landings without runway lights) should always be included in night pilot training as an emergency procedure
Runway lights are not a requirement for landing at night; pilots may utilize lighted, and non-lighted runways all the same
If there is no tower and the airport is unlit:
3 clicks = low intensity
5 clicks = medium intensity
7 clicks = high intensity
If unable to located the airport, consider high intensity
Airplane Flying Handbook, Round-out when tire marks are visible
Night Operation Techniques:
Night operations take more time, from preflight, to the conduct of the flight, and post-flight requirements
Carry extra lights and batteries just in case lighting is insufficient during flight
Avoid the use of electronics that produce excessive flight, both from the perspective of night vision and general distraction
Increasing altitude in the night gives additional time and safety margin for troubleshooting
Be cognizant of aeromedical considerations like hypoxia, the higher you fly
Increase instrument cross-reference with the view outside of the cockpit
Stars can become street lights, slow movements can produce disorientation quickly
Avoiding clouds at night starts with a good weather brief, but requires persistent observation
Fading of environmental lighting or turning on a landing/taxi light to look for "bluming" may help avoid flight into clouds
Night Emergencies:
If the engine fails at night, several important procedures and considerations to keep in mind are:
Maintain positive control of the airplane and establish the best glide configuration and airspeed
Turn the airplane toward an airport or away from congested areas
Check to determine the cause of the engine malfunction, such as the position of fuel selectors, magneto switch, or primer
If possible, the cause of the malfunction should be corrected immediately and the engine restarted
Announce the emergency situation to Air Traffic Control (ATC) or UNICOM
If already in radio contact with a facility; do not change frequencies, unless instructed to change
If the condition of the nearby terrain is known, turn toward an unlighted portion of the area
Plan an emergency approach to an unlighted portion
Consider an emergency landing area close to public access if possible
This may facilitate rescue or help, if needed
Maintain orientation with the wind to avoid a downwind landing
Complete the before landing checklist, and check the landing lights for operation at altitude and turn ON in sufficient time to illuminate the terrain or obstacles along the flight path
The landing should be completed in the normal landing attitude at the slowest possible airspeed
If the landing lights are unusable and outside visual references are not available, the airplane should be held in level-landing attitude until the ground is contacted
After landing, turn off all switches and evacuate the airplane as quickly as possible
Night Hazards:
Night Illusions:
Pilots should already be aware that the eye can induce illusions
On a clear night, distant stationary lights can be mistaken for stars or other aircraft
Dark nights tend to eliminate reference to a visual horizon
Illusion awareness coupled with a disciplined instrument scan practiced more frequent than during the day help mitigate illusions in flight
Night Vision:
Night operations reduce the eye's ability to see and interpret light as easily
If a red light is used for reading an aeronautical chart/checklist, the red features will not show up very well
Pilots should consider avoiding bright lights for 30 minutes to allow for night adapatation
Unmanned Aircraft Systems Night Operations:
Night operations are permitted under 14 CFR Parts 91, Part 107, and Section 44809
The remote pilot in command of the small unmanned aircraft must have completed an initial knowledge test or training, as applicable, and;
The small unmanned aircraft must be operated with lighted anti-collision lighting visible for at least 3 statute miles that has a flash rate sufficient to avoid a collision
The remote pilot in command may reduce the intensity of, but may not extinguish, the anti-collision lighting if he or she determines that, because of operating conditions, it would be in the interest of safety to do so
As stated above, FAR 107.29, operation at night, defines civil twilight as the 30 minutes after official sunset and 30 minutes before official sunrise, with the caveat in Alaska as civil twilight is as defined in the Air Almanac
Requirements for meteorological visibility, and for the operator or visual observer (VO) to maintain VLOS with the UAS at all times, should be considered
Part 91 operators civil and PAO should refer to their specific COAs for any further instructions or limitations on night flight
Private Pilot (Airplane) Night Preparation Airman Certification Standards:
To determine that the applicant exhibits satisfactory knowledge, risk management, and skills associated with Night Preparation
Weather considerations specific to night operations.
PA.XI.A.R7:
Inoperative equipment.
Private Pilot (Airplane) Night Preparation Skills:
The applicant exhibits the skills to:
NA:
Not generally evaluated in flight. If the practical test is conducted at night, all ACS Tasks are evaluated in that environment, thus there is no need for explicit Task elements to exist here.
Night will mess with your visual cues, resulting in increased change for spatial disorientation and temptation to maintain eyes down, inside the cockpit
Instructors may sign off students to fly at night if in accordance with FAR 61.87(o)
