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Night Training/Flying

(Normally available November to March) 

🌙 Summarising the PPL(A) Night Rating

This is a summary guide to obtaining, maintaining, and flying with a Night Rating. Whether you are looking to expand your pilot privileges or brush up on your currency requirements, everything you need to know is outlined below. (Correct at October 2026)

💡 What is a Night Rating?

A Night Rating allows a pilot to fly at night under Visual Flight Rules (VFR).

  • IFR Flying: If you wish to fly at night using Instrument Flight Rules (IFR), you must also hold a valid Instrument Rating.
  • Lifetime Validity: The great news is that the Night Rating is non-expiring—once you earn it, it has a lifetime validity and never needs to be formally revalidated or renewed.

📋 Requirements to Get a Night Rating

To add a Night Rating to your license, you must complete an appropriate training course at an Approved Training Organisation (ATO) within a maximum period of 6 months.

Training Breakdown

Your course must include:

  • Theoretical knowledge instruction, normally sufficiently covered in your pre-flight briefings
  • At least 5 hours of flight time at night, broken down into:
    • At least 3 hours of dual instruction (including at least 1 hour of cross-country navigation with a dual cross-country flight of at least 50 km (27 NM). 
    • At least 5 solo take-offs and 5 solo full-stop landings.

Prerequisites & Eligibility

  • LAPL Holders: Before completing night training, LAPL holders must complete the basic instrument flight training required for a PPL.
  • Licence Integration: The rating can be applied for at the same time as your PPL (as an additional 5-hour course). It can be endorsed on an NPPL, LAPL, or PPL.
  • Medical Requirements: You must hold at least a Class 2 medical or have successfully passed a colour sight test.

 

📁 What Documents to Submit

When applying for your Night Rating to be added to your licence via the online form SRG1126, you will need to upload:

  1. Course Certificate: Night rating online course completion certificate CAA5017.
  2. Licence Copy: A copy of your licence, including the certificate of revalidation pages.
  3. Logbook: A copy of your logbook pages showing your completed night flying experience.
  4. Medical Certificate: A copy of your valid medical certificate.

✈️ Keeping Your Ratings Current

While your Night Rating itself never expires, you must strictly maintain separate currency and recency requirements before taking to the skies.

  1. Class Rating Currency (SEP / MEP)

You cannot legally fly at night if your underlying aircraft class rating (such as a Single Engine Piston (SEP) rating) has expired.

  • Revalidation Rules: An SEP rating must be revalidated every 24 months.
  • How to Revalidate: Either pass a proficiency check with an examiner within 3 months of expiry, or revalidate by experience (flying 12 hours including 6 hours as PIC, 12 take-offs and landings, and a 1-hour refresher flight with an instructor).
  1. Carriage of Passengers (The 90-Day Rule)

If you intend to carry passengers at night, you must meet strict recency requirements:

  • General Rule: At least 3 take-offs and 3 landings as the sole manipulator of the controls within the previous 90 days.
  • Night Rule: For night flights with passengers, at least 1 of those take-offs and 1 of those landings must be completed at night (unless you hold a valid Instrument Rating).

Flight Safety & Best Practice

Night flying demands a unique skill set and relies heavily on instrument scanning. If you haven’t flown at night in a while, it is strongly recommended as best practice to complete a dual refresher flight with a night-qualified Flight Instructor before operating solo again.