Thinking beyond the regulations
We started with identifying the definition of "night" as the time between the end of evening civil twilight and beginning of morning civil twilight, so that we could know when the FAR requirements would apply.
We reviewed the basic training requirements for a person applying for a private pilot certificate -- three hours of night flight training in a single-engine airplane that includes one cross-country flight of more than 100 nautical miles' total distance and 10 takeoffs and 10 landings to a full stop at an airport.
We reviewed the currency requirements that will allow you to act as pilot in command of a night flight carrying passengers -- three takeoffs and three landings to a full stop during the period from one hour after sunset to one hour before sunrise within the preceding 90 days as the sole manipulator of the controls and in an aircraft of the same category, class, and type.
And, we reviewed the fuel requirements for beginning a VFR night flight in an airplane -- considering wind and forecast weather conditions, enough fuel to fly to the first point of intended landing and, assuming normal cruising speed, to fly after that for at least 45 minutes.
This month, let's discuss some of the practical necessities to help you to prepare for a night flight. They are not necessarily required by any particular regulation, but nonetheless they may be important to your exercise of prudent judgment and careful operation.
If you're flying at night, chances are that you will be conducting your preflight inspection in the dark and you will be using a chart in the cockpit to navigate; the only light available may be the glow from the FBO, the shine from the moon, or illumination castoff from the instruments. Cockpit lighting is not always adequate for reading instruments and charts while you're in flight. Therefore, it's a good idea to carry at least one flashlight, as well as extra batteries. You should also be familiar with the location of your aircraft's circuit breakers and/or fuses. FAR 91.205(c) requires that for VFR flight at night, you must have one spare set of fuses, or three spare fuses of each kind required, that are accessible to you during the flight. The regulation requires you to have the fuses; it's implicit that you know where they go and how to replace them, if your airplane is equipped with fuses.
When you perform your preflight inspection, ensure that the windshield is clean and the area around the aircraft is clear. Before you start the engine, clearly and loudly shout "Clear" or flash your aircraft's landing light so that anyone in the vicinity understands you are about to turn the propeller. Taxiing a bit slower at night gives you time to see things in front of the aircraft and properly assess the width and location of the taxiways and runways.
It is also important to know how darkness can affect your vision. The Aeronautical Information Manual states:
"In darkness, vision becomes more sensitive to light, a process called dark adaptation. Although exposure to total darkness for at least 30 minutes is required for complete dark adaptation, a pilot can achieve a moderate degree of dark adaptation within 20 minutes under dim red cockpit lighting. Since red light severely distorts colors, especially on aeronautical charts, and can cause serious difficulty in focusing the eyes on objects inside the aircraft, its use is advisable only where optimum outside night vision capability is necessary. Even so, white cockpit lighting must be available when needed for map and instrument reading, especially under IFR conditions. Dark adaptation is impaired by exposure to cabin pressure altitudes above 5,000 feet, carbon monoxide inhaled in smoking and from exhaust fumes, deficiency of Vitamin A in the diet, and prolonged exposure to bright sunlight. Since any degree of dark adaptation is lost within a few seconds of viewing a bright light, a pilot should close one eye when using a light to preserve some degree of night vision."
So while you're training and flying with a flight instructor, note how you see in the darkness of the preflight, while reading your instruments in flight, while using a chart to navigate, and when scanning outside for checkpoints and other aircraft.
While there are several FAR requirements for operating aircraft at night, there are also many reasonable practical items that can help to ensure the safety of the flight. As the holder of a pilot certificate, you are expected to use prudence and exercise proper judgment in your flying, which implies that you appreciate the beauty and respect the challenges of nighttime flying.
Kathy Yodice is an attorney with Yodice Associates in Washington, D.C., which provides legal counsel to AOPA and administers AOPA's legal services plan. She is an instrument-rated private pilot.
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