Night flying rules for UK flight training, from the ANO
Under the UK Air Navigation Order, night is the period from 30 minutes after sunset until 30 minutes before sunrise, measured at surface level. That window moves every day and with location, which is exactly why a school running to a fixed timetable gets it wrong. FlyerOS computes the night window from sunset and sunrise at your aerodrome for the date of each flight, so night currency, instructor privileges and the correct stage of training are checked against the real definition rather than an approximation.
What ANO 2016 asks of the school
- Night is 30 minutes after sunset to 30 minutes before sunrise at surface level, by date and location.
- Night flying requires the appropriate pilot privileges, currency and, for students, the correct stage of training.
- Aerodrome and aircraft requirements for night operations are met.
FlyerOS helps you operate your approved or declared procedures. It does not itself confer certification or approval, and it is not legal or regulatory advice. The authority named here is the current reference; always work from the regulation itself.
How FlyerOS supports it
The night window, computed per aerodrome
FlyerOS derives the night period from sunset and sunrise at your aerodrome for the date of the flight, rather than a fixed clock time.
Currency and privileges checked against it
A booking that falls in the night window is checked for night currency and the correct privileges, and refused with the reason if they are missing.
The rule, with its source
The definition is modelled with its source and effective date, so a change in the rule is a configuration change, not a code change.
Questions schools ask
- How does FlyerOS define night?
- As the Air Navigation Order does: from 30 minutes after sunset to 30 minutes before sunrise, at surface level, computed for your aerodrome and the date of the flight, not a fixed time.
- Does it stop a student booking a night flight they are not ready for?
- Yes. If the booking falls in the night window and the student lacks the required stage or currency, or the instructor lacks the privilege, the booking is refused with a plain-English reason.
- Can we operate from more than one aerodrome?
- Yes. The night window is computed per location, so each base uses its own sunset and sunrise times.