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Old October 3rd 06, 09:51 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
Mike the Strike
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Posts: 952
Default Sunset and night flying definitions

But, as I have recently told you all ad nauseam, sunset is NOT defined
in the FARs, nor is it known with an accuracy of better than a few
minutes.

Complaining of a flight that lands a few minutes after sunset is, in my
view, picayune to the extreme. Analagous to trapping motorists who
exceed a speed limit by less than 1%. I'm sure no-one at the FAA
would ever worry about this unless it was a contributory factor to an
accident. I certainly know of no enforcement action by any authority in
such cases.

However, I'll never be as good as you guys, I'm afraid. I freely admit
to driving over the speed limit every day, rolling through stop signs
and breaking sundry other driving regulations from time to time. I
also sometimes fly closer to clouds than I should, have flown through
airspace that maybe I shouldn't and have landed after sunset on a
couple of occasions.

Mike



Greg Arnold wrote:
Ben Jeffrey wrote:
US Federal Aviation Regulation definition of night: From FAR official
definitions
Night means the time between the end of evening civil twilight and the
beginning of morning civil twilight, as published in the American Air
Almanac, converted to local time.

Equipment requirements for night flight: FAR 91.205(c)
(c) Visual flight rules (night). For VFR flight at night, the following
instruments and equipment are required:

(1) Instruments and equipment specified in paragraph (b) of this section.

(2) Approved position lights.

(3) An approved aviation red or aviation white anticollision light system on
all U.S.-registered civil aircraft. Anticollision light systems initially
installed after August 11, 1971, on aircraft for which a type certificate
was issued or applied for before August 11, 1971, must at least meet the
anticollision light standards of part 23, 25, 27, or 29 of this chapter, as
applicable, that were in effect on August 10, 1971, except that the color
may be either aviation red or aviation white. In the event of failure of any
light of the anticollision light system, operations with the aircraft may be
continued to a stop where repairs or replacement can be made.

(4) If the aircraft is operated for hire, one electric landing light.

I can find no reference in the FARs that further limits gliders to
operations between sunrise and sunset.


See 91.209.


Ben Jeffrey