Night Rating
If you have an EASA pilot's licence (PPL or LAPL) you can add night ratings to allow you to fly in visual flight rules (VFR) conditions at night. Night in the UK is from 30 minutes after sunset to 30 minutes before sunrise, but is defined nationally in each ICAO country.
If you have a LAPL licence you must first have completed the basic instrument flight training required within the PPL(A) syllabus that was not in your licence. Pilots who have converted to a LAPL from another licence, other than an NPPL may already have this training. If you have a LAPL medical certificate it must be endorsed as colour safe in order to add a night rating.
You'll need to be trained at an ATO. The course will include theory, dual instruction and solo flight time at night.
The night rating is valid for life. But if you want to carry passengers at night the normal passenger rules of '3 take-off and landings in past 90 days' apply, with the addition that, unless you have a valid instrument rating, at least one of each must have been at night.
To add night ratings to an aeroplane (A) licence your training will cover:
- Theoretical knowledge instruction
- 5 hours of flight time at night including at least:
- 3 hours of dual flying instruction
- 1 hour of cross-country navigation with at least one dual cross-country flight of at least 50km
- 5 solo take-offs and 5 solo full-stop landings
If you already hold an instrument rating (IR) in an aeroplane or TMG you can credit 5 hours towards the requirement of 10 hours of dual instrument instruction time.