Logging Night, Carrying PX and not meeting recent of flight

MikeOH58

MikeOH58

Well-Known Member
Okay...I'll use todays conditions as the example.

Sunset 17:19 Local
Civil Twilight 17:48 Local

Now without meeting recency of experience, I can legally fly with passengers until 18:18 and not bust and rules. The FAA also says that I can begin logging night time at 17:48. So even if i'm not current at night with px, can I still log the time from 17:48 until 18:18 as night in the logbook and will it be legal?
 
Re: Logging Night, Carrying PX and not meeting recent of fli

3...2...1 has come and passed about 30 times now and no midlife hehe...Anyone else care to take a stab at it?

I'm pretty sure I already know the answer which is yes, it is okay to do but I just want to make sure I am correct.

thanks
 
Re: Logging Night, Carrying PX and not meeting recent of fli

I would say yes it is legal, but I am not sure I would do it. What happens if you have to delay for some reason and go past your end time. Wouldnt want to try and explain that one in an interview. You also have to look at your destination airport as well for the calculations. Chasing the sun??
 
Re: Logging Night, Carrying PX and not meeting recent of fli

Which certificate are you building time for that a .5 night loophole is going to make the difference? (rhetorical)

It's obviously legal to do it. So the question is 'is it legal to log it?' The answer to that is yes...but is it that big of a deal?
 
Re: Logging Night, Carrying PX and not meeting recent of fli

Reason I ask is because I fly out of Bridgeport, and take people on rides to the NYC Cordor a couple times a month; a lot of it being at sunset. I am current, and wouldn't risk it by using this window as a freebie, but theres many times when I do arrive back to bridgeport while its considered night, but still within the hour after sunset. Just had me thinking....

Clocks said:
Which certificate are you building time for that a .5 night loophole is going to make the difference? (rhetorical)
Click to expand...

None...

"Rhetorical" hehehe.....Farley! Are you going to be a loser your entire life? Don't answer...Rhetorical question! HAHA
 
Re: Logging Night, Carrying PX and not meeting recent of fli

Sure, it's legal.

So if you want to, go ahead and do it.

But, I would say just to be safe, after the passengers have gone on their way, do three landings in the pattern just to cover your butt!
 
Re: Logging Night, Carrying PX and not meeting recent of fli

...from the Part 61 FAQs--gotta love that document.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


QUESTION: I also wanted to verify that logging night time, not for currency requirement, is from sunset to sunrise.

ANSWER: Ref. Definitions, part 1, §§ 61.51(b)(3)(i), 61.57(b) and 91.209. No. “Sunset-to-sunrise” is used per § 91.209 in specifying when aircraft lighting is required. This is not the guidance for logging night flight time.
Flight time at “night” should be logged in accordance with the part 1 definition of “night.” The definition specifies night as the “time between the end of evening civil twilight and beginning of morning civil twilight as published in the American Air Almanac.” By “rule-of-thumb” the nighttime period starts about 30 minutes after sundown and ends about 30 minutes before sunrise. The twilight period varies slightly by latitude but is approximately 30 minutes in the “lower 48” & Hawaii. Astronomers or persons doing celestial navigation most commonly use an Air Almanac. Few pilots have even seen or used an Air Almanac.

In 61.57(b), “One hour after sunset to one hour before sunrise” is the qualification to be met in logging landing currency qualification for being PIC when carrying passengers between an hour after sunset to an hour before sunrise. This is not the guidance for logging night flight time.
{Q&A-538}
 
Re: Logging Night, Carrying PX and not meeting recent of fli

Yes, it's legal to log night flight time. But not a night landing, which is the only requirement for 'night legal'.
 
Re: Logging Night, Carrying PX and not meeting recent of fli

nosehair said:
Yes, it's legal to log night flight time. But not a night landing, which is the only requirement for 'night legal'.
Click to expand...
Actually, you need a "night" takeoff as well as a nigh landing for "night legal." But yeah, that's right.

Mike, you're fine. The FAR has a couple of definitions of night for different purposes. These aren't all of the ramifications but as others pointed out, for logging flight =time= at night, you're in FAR 1.1. For logging night takeoffs and landings for currency/passenger qualification and for determining the times that you need to be passenger-qualified, purposes, you're dealing with 61.57.

Separate rules, separate requirments, and nothing wrong with, in your scenario, logging night "flight time" without logging a night "landing."
 
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