TheaterFire

Night flying?

Posted by Historical-Monk3177@reddit | flying | View on Reddit | 21 comments

For ppl night flying requirements, does the 100nm cross-country have to be made all at night or can part of it be during the day?

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21 Comments

Dry-Acanthisitta-613@reddit

You need to familiarize yourself with 14 CFR 61.109 rather than relying on Reddit for help. “(2) Except as provided in § 61.110 of this part, 3 hours of night flight training in a single-engine airplane that includes— (i) One cross-country flight of over 100 nautical miles total distance; and (ii) 10 takeoffs and 10 landings to a full stop (with each landing involving a flight in the traffic pattern) at an airport. “ It mentions total distance not per leg. The entire thing is to be performed at night.
View on Reddit #62933412

Historical-Monk3177@reddit (OP)

Yes 3 hours of total night flying that includes the 10 takeoff and landings to full stop and one xc of over 100nm. What if the take off and landings flight takes a 2.0. Could the xc be 2 hrs before sunrise giving me an hr of night time and go into the hour before sunrise when night time is considered to end? Which would meet the 3 night hours.
View on Reddit #62934318

bddgfx@reddit

The entire flight has to be at night, per the regs by definition of night and the required distances. Not a minute or mile less. If you’re that nervous about night flying, have your CFI take you up for a few laps in the pattern an hour after sunset before the night XC. It’s a neat sight.
View on Reddit #63090922

Dry-Acanthisitta-613@reddit

When it is describing the cross country flight, it refers to its total size. Think about the intent of the regulation. It is to teach you to fly at night. Why are you trying to fight that so hard, it takes half an hour to fly 50 miles.
View on Reddit #62934887

Historical-Monk3177@reddit (OP)

Not trying to fight it, just a genuine question as to if that would meet the requirements.
View on Reddit #62935639

Dry-Acanthisitta-613@reddit

The more you fly you’ll learn it’s usually better to just accept what the government is requiring without digging too deep. The purpose of that XC is to be performed at night, and it would take the same length to fly either way.
View on Reddit #62935925

stikshift@reddit

Piggyback question; can the night cross country be the same flight as the solo cross country? Or do both requirements need to be met by different flights?
View on Reddit #62952656

bddgfx@reddit

I don’t know of any CFI who would endorse a solO night XC for a PPL student.
View on Reddit #63090810

Virian@reddit

Solo flight and training flight are mutually exclusive.
View on Reddit #62985516

x4457@reddit

How do you plan to do a night cross country during daylight?
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MunitionGuyMike@reddit

Solar eclipse >!Jk, that’s legally not night flying!<
View on Reddit #63064895

CluelessPilot1971@reddit

By putting the window shades down and/or wearing dark sunglasses. It's simulated night.
View on Reddit #62946071

falcopilot@reddit

Everyone's expectations Y'all work with me here, m'kay? Every CFI here is locked into "leave from KXXX, fly to KYYY that is 51 miles away, do a bunch of landings, fly back to KXXX. Make it take 3 hours. So say I buy a plane in another state, and talk my CFI into an adventure to go fly it home with me. I arrive at the plane with said CFI. We get in the plane at 7pm (daylight) and fly until midnight, including a bunch of landings at KYYY. Then grab a hotel and get some sleep. Part of that flight was during daylight, but 3 hours and/or more than 100 miles and 10 laps around the pattern to a full stop were after dark. The only barely sticky point here is denoting where/when we were when night flying began.
View on Reddit #63042540

dilemmaprisoner@reddit

It was easier for me to divide it in two: One flight to a nearby well-lit airport, do 7 stop and goes and return for #8. Do enough stuff to make it take 1.5 hrs. Second flight do the XC for 1.5 hr with the remaining 2 landings at each end.
View on Reddit #62936099

BluProfessor@reddit

If you look at [14 CFR 61.109(a)(2)](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-14/part-61/subpart-E#p-61.109(a)(2)), it's stated that it is "night flight training". You can then look at[14 CFR 1.1 “Night”](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-14/part-1#p-1.1(Night)) and you'll find that it is the time between the end of evening civil twilight and the beginning of morning civil twilight. So, yes, the whole thing has to be at night.
View on Reddit #62934004

Mehere_64@reddit

Just do the three hours all at once. The night time starts at the end of evening civil twilight and ends at the beginning of morning civil twilight. Take off from home airport, fly at least 51NM straight line from your home airport to another airport. Do 9 TO/LDGS, fly back home. If you don't hit your 3 hours by the time you get home, do a few more TO/LDGS or just fly around till you hit your 3 hours. What really sucks is in the summer time that can mean you can't start flying till 10PM or so which can make for a long night. What my CFI and I did is take off from home airport, flew over to another airport, did 5 TO/LDGS, then flew to another airport over 50NM away, and during the flight to the other airport log some instrument time being under the hood. Did 4 TO/LDGs at second airport then flew back to another airport near home one since home one did not have lights. Left plane and next day went and got the plane.
View on Reddit #62933964

Mountain-Captain-396@reddit

Just remember, at the end of the day it's night.
View on Reddit #62933931

minfremi@reddit

What’s the definition of night again c
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cofonseca@reddit

You can't log night if it's day. It has to be at night.
View on Reddit #62933270

UNDR08@reddit

The sun being down is a requirement
View on Reddit #62932982

rFlyingTower@reddit

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