AFAIK you need to have performed 3 take-offs and landings (to a full stop) at night in the last 90 days to bring passengers at night regardless of rules of flight or ratings held.
That’s true for FAA pilots, regardless of whether they are IR rated or not
In EASA, only one pair of the take-off and landings needs to have been at night, except if IR qualified in which case all three can have been daytime.
It’s one of those cases where the FAA rules are stricter than EASA.
DavidC, is that JUST for IR qualified, or IRR qualified too?
Is that JUST for IR qualified or IRR qualified too?
CAP804, section 4 Part A, Page 6 states FCL.060
as PIC at night unless he/she:
(i) has carried out in the preceding 90 days at least 1 take-off, approach and landing at night as a pilot flying in an aircraft of the same type or class or an FFS representing that type or class; or
(ii) holds an IR;
I don’t think an IR(R) = IR so would say no
In the US, there isn’t a restriction on night flying as PIC, but there is a requirement to be night current in order to carry passengers at dark night. Night is defined in the US regulation 1.1 under definitions and reads as follows:
Night 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.
Some confuse this with sunset to sunrise, which it is not. Depending on the latitude and time of year this occurs roughly a half hour past sunset to a half hour before sunrise.
A VFR pilot who does not have any restriction not permitting flight at night, does not require any currency at night. In a weird case, a pilot may fly with an instructor, both of which are not night current for the purpose of obtaining night currency. This is because the instructor is not considered a passenger when they are providing instruction and the pilot is not the passenger of the instructor.
I use my term “dark night” to mean what the FAA prescribes for currency requirements for carrying passengers. It is the time one hour after sunset to one hour before sun rise. During this time, a pilot may not carry passengers unless they have made three takeoffs and landings to a full stop during “dark night”. So, it is permitted for a pilot who does not meet this requirement to arrive home with passengers after sunset and the onset of night as defined by the FAA, but not after “dark night” and still not be afoul of the regulations. This is roughly a half hour past the onset of FAA defined night.
Here is the wording of the night currency regulation for the US:
91.57 (b) Night takeoff and landing experience.
(1) Except as provided in paragraph (e) of this section, 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, and-
(i) That person acted as sole manipulator of the flight controls; and
(ii) The required takeoffs and landings were performed in an aircraft of the same category, class, and type (if a type rating is required).
Note that this is based on the night currency must be in the same category and class of aircraft, so if you are night current only in a twin, you may not extend the privilege to flying with passengers at dark night in a single engine aircraft.
It is the time one hour after sunset to one hour before sun rise
Not many people know that…
Sunset+1hr is a lot darker than the sunset+30mins based on which you maintain passenger night currency under European rules.
Under JAA, it used to be 3 take offs and landings in the last 90 days and at least one of those had to be at night. Surely, with the relative relaxation for IR holders under EASA, it can’t have moved backwards? I’m struggling to find a formal reference.
I should know better than assuming that things have not changed in the last 20 years since I got my night rating (in Norway) 
! Here is the reference:
JAR–FCL 1.026 Recent experience for pilots not operating in accordance with JAR–OPS 1
(a) A pilot shall not operate an aeroplane carrying passengers as pilot-in-command or co-pilot unless he has carried out at least three take-offs and three landings as pilot flying in an aeroplane of the same type/class or a flight simulator of the aeroplane type/class to be used, in the preceding 90 days; and
(b) The holder of a licence that does not include a valid instrument rating (aeroplane) shall not act as pilot-in-command of an aeroplane carrying passengers at night unless during the previous 90 days at least one of the take-offs and landings required by JAR–FCL1.026(a) above has been carried out by night
I fly N-reg – so I have to comply with FARs anyway…
! Here is the reference:
JAR-FCL 1
JAR-FCL and JAR-OPS are dead and buried, the JAA ceased to exist on 30 June 2009!
EU Regulation 1178:
FCL.060 Recent experience
(b) Aeroplanes, helicopters, powered-lift, airships and sailplanes. A pilot shall not operate an aircraft in commercial air transport or carrying passengers:
(1) as PIC or co-pilot unless he/she has carried out, in the preceding 90 days, at least 3 take-offs, approaches and landings in an aircraft of the same type or class or an FFS representing that type or class. The 3 take-offs and landings shall be performed in either multi-pilot or single-pilot operations, depending on the privileges held by the pilot; and
(2) as PIC at night unless he/she:
(i) has carried out in the preceding 90 days at least 1 take-off, approach and landing at night as a pilot flying in an aircraft of the same type or class or an FFS representing that type or class; or
(ii) holds an IR;
An IR(R) is a UK concoction and not a recognised EASA or ICAO IR. It has only the privileges of a UK IMC rating, whatever they may be!
I wonder what “United Kingdom Licenses” means
It means any licence issued by the UK that is not an EASA licence.
Coming back on the night currency question and FCL.060…
(2) as PIC at night unless he/she:
(i) has carried out in the preceding 90 days at least 1 take-off, approach and landing at night as a pilot flying in an aircraft of the same type or class or an FFS representing that type or class; or
(ii) holds an IR;
How should a EIR be considered ?
Another question, I use myflightbook as online logbook and the author considers the following regarding night currency:
(b)(2)(ii) above simply says “holds an IR”, with no other qualifier, so I am treating that as being unqualified.
From the FCL.060 it is clear that it is not clear how “Holds an IR” should be considered…. any views on this ?
EIR is not an IR.
jfw wrote:
How should a EIR be considered ?
The reason IR holders are exempted must be that they can make landings off instrument approaches in bad visibility, which in many ways is more difficult that night landings. An EIR holder is not allowed to make instrument approaches, so it is reasonable that the are not exempt from the 1 flight in 90 days rule.
