Learning to Fly at Night! Getting My CAA Night Rating

In the UK you need a night rating if you want to fly at night. This week I complete my CAA night rating and get qualified to fly at night.
Get 10% Off Flying Eyes with Coupon Code NOEL:
flyingeyesopti...
Thank you Gamston Flying School for getting me through my IR(R) and Night rating this year. Check them out: www.gamstonfly...

[@nigelthompson5184]

As my instructor said, "If the donkey stops, turn on the landing lights. If you don't like what you see, turn them off"!! Congratulations Noel - it's a very different form of flying, isn't it?

[@andywilkins6657]

Joking apart, how do you do an off - airfield landing at night if your single engine quits?

[@11clarkm]

@@andywilkins6657 with great difficulty. One would need to know the area well in order to have a good understanding of where suitable landing spots are. But bear in mind, it wouldn't be pitch black, you would see certain things.

[@davidcocker8878]

Excellent Noel👌 never did my night rating as home hangar base was Sherburn in Elmet and back in my flying days it was all Grass Strips, landed at Gamston quite a lot though, great airfield, sadly at age 70 now and lost my Medical a couple of decades back, part owned both G-BIOW and G-OBMW, both written off due to nose wheel collapse (not flying them at the time)

[@anonymous77173]

What a lovely vlog noel ... I wish I could still fly xxx

[@richarddastardly6845]

Omg, I did my night training training out of Gamston, good memories, the guy who trained me now flies for TUI✈️👨‍✈️

[@samhammond6370]

Currently doing my ppl there, a truly great airfield and flying school. The strangest bit is seeing one of my instructors training with Noel

[@larryhorton8140]

Nice video. My first night flight was in the late 60s in deep south Texas. A dark night in an area with little to no ground lights to help orientate. Was great fun though and oh so much cooler at night.

[@timcollins380]

That takes me back to my Helicopter Commercial night training in 1980. The night GFT (General Flying Test) included a navigation exercise and was done with a man from the CAA in the other seat. I then went on to fly many night flights to offshore oil rigs at night all done under IFR single pilot. Enjoy your night flying, people make a big deal of it I did so much that it became routine. Make sure you stay safe by keeping current Noel.

[@davidlesueur3391]

Well done Noël. Love watching your videos.

[@rogerclarke3291]

Awesome video Noel I can imagine the ground just rushes up to the mains. Thanks for posting.

[@jonclassical2024]

You are brave (and young)...I have never liked driving a night and feel the same way about flying at night......you seem well at easy with it, enjoyed seeing you do it!!...Congrats!!!

[@stevemcintyre4398]

Well done Noel, I imagine that night flying would be a much different beast to daytime. Love your both your channels. Merry X-mas from OZ, take care.

[@FlyWithNoelPhilips]

Thank you Steve, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

[@chrisbentleywalkingandrambling]

Brilliant little vlog, you really need to know your local area. Definitely a bit disorientating. Belated congratulations on your night rating.

[@GoldenSamus-ie1qy]

This looks so fun! Can’t wait to finish my PPL so I can do this next!

[@grantcochrane7472]

Excellent video noel. Theeee best aviation vlogger out there 😄

[@FlyWithNoelPhilips]

Thank you Grant!

[@Lonsome1223]

I remember doing my night rating in the mid seventies at Biggin Hill there were no taxi way lighting you used the glow of the nav lights along the edge of the taxi way. The landing light on the old pa28 was always failing but we still flew . Looking back now flying over London at night in a single engine aircraft i must have been mad!!! .

[@tonytowers5889]

Congratulations Noel!!! 😁😁😁

[@gap9992]

My first decision after getting my night rating was never to fly at night in a SEP! It was fun getting the rating though

[@chefchrissmith]

Congrats Noel!!

[@emmakimble2255]

Consanguinity doing ur night fly I’ve done mime last yr so I understand how I felt first time I was never thought I could but amazing I did it so keep up with night fly as must as u can the first 15hr are the best the rest u r learning everyday u fly.

[@EinkOLED]

Night flying presents a greater risk in single engine FW aircraft, due to hidden dangers in the event of a engine out landing.

[@FlyWithNoelPhilips]

Quite right, if the engine stops you just have to aim for a black bit and hope there's nothing there.

[@IamTheBull]

These vids are great Noel, just started my PPL and it’s great to see what is to come!

[@louisthetravelspotter]

well done noel and congrats on your night landing flight

[@NoahAviation09]

Just started my PPL at gamston

[@airfoxtrot2006]

Excellent work Noel

[@EvanDaFish]

Congratulations! I’m an expat living in Massachusetts (also a CFI), let me know if you ever visit the region and I’ll take you up.

[@arndtproehl]

Well done!!!

[@kurranbailey711]

Did my night rating in G-BNOM at EGNT, good ship ✈️

[@yampk1]

Wonderful stuff thank you for sharing 🤗

[@Calebs_Aviation]

Congratulations Noel, but I have to say being from the USA 🇺🇸 that seems odd not to have night flying included in yout initial PPL training…. Hmmm 🤔 I know because I’m almost finished with my PPL certification!! 😎 Cheers 🥂 -C

[@Alex10121]

Here in New Zealand it’s a legal requirement to hold atleast a PPL to start your night rating as well.

[@FlyWithNoelPhilips]

I believe you can do your night rating alongside your PPL provided you have some basic instrument training. I never did that, we only have dark nights for around half the year so it makes training pretty tricky (especially as that's when the bad weather usually hits!).

[@Calebs_Aviation]

@@FlyWithNoelPhilips yeah that’s what I’m doing…

[@jerseyscampi]

When I did my night rating the 5 take off and landings had to include taxi off the runway and back to the hold and then take off again

[@allanforbestv]

Great stuff Noel, well done. Can I ask, what settings did you use on the GoPros for the night videos?

[@FlyWithNoelPhilips]

Thanks Allan. Just cranked the ISO right up to maximums, and shutter speed as slow as it will go (1/25 I think(.

[@belugast]

Cat III next in fog.....maybe not, really good to be trained IFR and night time thats most important.👍

[@FlyWithNoelPhilips]

Haha, yes Cat III may be a little below my limits!

[@jonworthing7467]

That does look hard to do. But congratulations you’ve got it.

[@chrisbentleywalkingandrambling]

One question, well rwo really. Did Gamston stay open later or was this Winter? Also would you do any longer distance flying at night or are you using the the qualification so you don't have the restrictions if you have a late departure from somewhere? Great little vlog. Thank for sharing.

[@FlyWithNoelPhilips]

They only do night training in winter as the airport closes at 6pm. This was in November when sunset was around 1630-1700.

[@nicolapaganoni1726]

I’ve got a PPL but I don’t fly anymore. The night rating was (well, actually IS) on my bucket list and it’s one of my biggest regret…

[@frederickmerle6412]

How can people afford to fly for pleasure these days?! I have been an Airline Pilot for 17 years and couldn’t afford to do aviating for pleasure. Would need a second mortgage to do it these days.

[@user-dw8ud2hw5d]

Netherthorpe got a mention at 4:50. At last... :)

[@FlyWithNoelPhilips]

I've still never worked up the bottle to actually fly in there. Maybe one day when I'm feeling particularly brave!

[@richarddastardly6845]

Omg, is that Michael?👨‍✈️

[@skill692]

Well done Noel your,e going upwards and onwards in your flying career, Commercial license next?

[@tomelvin255]

Feel like this is the right place to ask this. If I learn to fly in the uk can I fly in the US and also if I get a night rating 1) what is that called and 2) can I also use that in the US

[@biggestbobby]

Only one rule for night flying - if the engine quits head for the dark bits!

[@Avgeek1564]

That's what the Police Scotland helicopter pilot thought a few years back, and look how that ended up!

[@DavidSmith-tc3xq]

@@Avgeek1564 how did it end up?

[@SebastianSegura1138]

Weird, why is there a sort of interference sound when that matches the engine speed? Like it rises in pitch when the throttle is risen.

[@FlyWithNoelPhilips]

Yeah, these old aircraft don't have the most state of the art electrical systems so there's always a bit of interference.

[@SebastianSegura1138]

@@FlyWithNoelPhilips thanks for the response Noel! Love your channels! I’ve noticed that the same thing happens in some cars, like I’ve noticed the same type of sound interference when using a portable DVD player in a car.

[@Scotscan]

Looks very dark out there. No landing lights?

[@callumrichards2065]

How late does Gamston typically remain open on an evening?

[@NoahAviation09]

6pm usually

[@jw0stephens]

Can run to McDonalds for dinner now at night.