Is a battery "an adequate source of electrical energy"? (91.205)

Cris

Cris

flying bus driver
Bit of a silly thing to be arguing over, but me and some friends have been in a dispute about this.

In 91.205 for required VFR night equipment it is stated that you need "An adequate source of electrical energy for all installed electrical and radio equipment." My question is does a battery qualify for this?
 
Cris said:
Bit of a silly thing to be arguing over, but me and some friends have been in a dispute about this.

In 91.205 for required VFR night equipment it is stated that you need "An adequate source of electrical energy for all installed electrical and radio equipment." My question is does a battery qualify for this?
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As long as it has enough power to carry you through the flight. Considering, at bare minimum you could have LED navs and a beacon and an led flashlight, a standard aircraft battery would last you longer than any amount of fuel you could carry in such an airplane.
 
z987k said:
As long as it has enough power to carry you through the flight. Considering, at bare minimum you could have LED navs and a beacon and an led flashlight, a standard aircraft battery would last you longer than any amount of fuel you could carry in such an airplane.
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Not that I'm doubting you, but is there any case law about this that you're aware of?
 
I thought about buying a Piper J-4 Cub which did not have an alternator and only had a lead acid battery to power the radio, beacon and nav lights. The battery would have to be removed and put on a charger every few flights. Gliders with avionics (although they don't normally fly at night) are also equipped with battery powered electrical systems which must be periodically removed and recharged.

Some vintage aircraft also have air driven alternators under the belly (like a RAT) instead of engine driven ones.

Although most don't fly anything without an engine-driven alternator or generator, the reg is written vaugely on purpose to accommodate the aforementioned situations. :)
 
It's not until you get to the IFR regs that is specifically specifies a generator as a source of electricity. Yes a battery is fine for night VFR. Hence a source of electricity rather than a generator such as the IFR regulation requires.
 
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