I started the Night rating at the end of January, 2009 and finished at the end of February, 2009. Had Cranfield Airport not been shut for the past two weeks due to bad weather, chances are, I would have completed the course earlier. This rating enables the PPL(A) holder to fly at night with passengers.
The course consisted of 3 hours dual instruction (most of this was in the circuit) with Donald and Mike, 1 hour night cross country navigation. 5 take-off and 5 full-stop landings whilst solo, and I had ground briefings before and after each flight.
It does take your breath away to see the sparkling lights of the world from the air. It feels very calm and gentle, it feels like you have the whole sky to yourself. At first, it was a little daunting to fly at night without the usual references that one would get during the day. Clearly, should there be an emergency and you have to make an emergency landing, then finding a landable field will be tricky. Getting my night rating, has been a step forward towards my ambition of attaining a commercial pilots licence and eventually to becoming a flight instructor. It is a small step forward, but still a step forward.
