Yet with both definitions, you can’t perform a night flight immediately after sunset, when it isn’t dark. Night flight begins at SS+30 (old definition) or at CET (new definition).
Yes, but not categorically. Germany has retained the SS+30 rule, contrary to SERA.
be careful, sometime the rules of air says SS+30 but other regulations says /like ICAO annex 6/ you need to have all the required lighting after sunset. So there is a disconnect. the same might apply to airport operating procedures, they might have SS instead of “day”.
Patrick wrote:
Thanks for pointing that out! I’ve read this before but what sticked to my memory was “one landing in 90 days”. The take-off requirement indeed makes it harder in the sense that before embarking on such a trip, you’d have to do one training circuit at night.
Well, if you are leaving for the trip in the morning, you could just move your schedule ahead and take-off before (say, half an hour) morning civil twilight, if the airport is open that early. That would give you the take-off. And do the approach and landing when coming back (it shouldn’t be that difficult to stretch the last leg to approach the airport officially at night). I certainly wouldn’t cut it too close to the 90 day limit. You never know what might happen.
I’m a bit surprised more people haven’t done night rating as a part of PPL. The standard 45 hour route has 10 unallocated hours that can be used for additional training, like differences training for other SEP variants or night rating.
has 10 unallocated hours that can be used for additional training, like […] night rating.
That last bit would be news to me.
boscomantico wrote:
That last bit would be news to me.
To me, too and most people require more rather than less hours than the prescribed 45 hours to become proficient enough for the skill test.
@boscomantico From memory, law calls for 25 hours of dual, 10 hours of solo (including the cross-country) and 45 hours total. That leaves 10 hours unaccounted for. And there are schools that offer incorporating night rating into PPL training (with 45 hours total, not 45+5). The assumption of course is that you manage to do the PPL training with time to spare. Otherwise, it makes no difference. And the training manual, or whatever it is schools have, has to provide for this option, AIUI.
Yes, I just have never heard of anybody doing that. I am also pretty sure that no German flying school has that provision its training manual. Maybe the LBA wouldn’t allow.
I agree it would not be of much use for most PPL students, since they need more than the 45 hours just for the basics. But it would be great for those who come to the flight school with some prior flight experience / proficiency. They would effectively “save” 5 hours (most PPLs go for the night rating sooner or later).
I did a few hours of the night rating as part of my PPL, but we didn’t have the right weather to complete it so I had to spend a few hours burning holes in the sky (PFL shaped holes) prior to my skills test.
Patrick wrote:
most people require more rather than less hours than the prescribed 45 hours
It’s actually 35 hours if something simple is used. Key to success is training intensively. It’s more efficient than dragging it out for months. But a lot of people can’t make the time.
