Lighting Req'mnts for Night

[Frisbie]

I was looking at installing the "Turbo Alternator" for radio & intercom and was wondering what the regulations are for the bare minimums for night flight.

I would have just enough batt/alternator for two tip stobes and the (3) position lights.

Do I need a beacon too?

[CraigH]

Don't need a beacon if you have tip strobes.

[gilligansae]

Night Lighting Requirements

I am not an AP/ CFII/ IA or FAA employee or law enforcement officer, but have done some research on this subject,

You may go to :

http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/cfrhtml_00/Title_14/14cfr91_00.html

and read the FAR/AIM in section

14CFR, chapter I, Part 91 section 91.209 which states:

§ 91.209 Aircraft lights.

No person may:

(a) During the period from sunset to sunrise (or, in Alaska, during the period a prominent unlighted object cannot be seen from a distance of 3 statute miles or the sun is more than 6 degrees below the horizon) --

(1) Operate an aircraft unless it has lighted position lights;

(2) Park or move an aircraft in, or in dangerous proximity to, a night flight operations area of an airport unless the aircraft --

(i) Is clearly illuminated;

(ii) Has lighted position lights; or

(iii) is in an area that is marked by obstruction lights;

(3) Anchor an aircraft unless the aircraft --

(i) Has lighted anchor lights; or

(ii) Is in an area where anchor lights are not required on vessels; or

(b) Operate an aircraft that is equipped with an anticollision light system, unless it has lighted anticollision lights. However, the anticollision lights need not be lighted when the pilot-in-command determines that, because of operating conditions, it would be in the interest of safety to turn the lights off.

[Doc. No. 27806, 61 FR 5171, Feb. 9, 1996]



From this regulation and its wording I would think that you can fly at night with position lights alone (wing tip and tail only) as long as the plane was not certified with anticollision lights. my airplane (N43294) did not have an electric system, and of course no anticollision lights, therefore you might be ok without strobes.

I would check with someone more knowledgeable, I have only been in this flying thing for a couple of years...

Jeff LaChausse
N43294

[Robert Lees]

Night flying...in a single...at night? In the DARK?

Ooh-err

[tunnel rat]

acft,night lights

I was just reading some info on t-craft required equipment for my plane i dont have the paper work in front of me just now,its down stairs ,im up anyway i saw on a faa document dated around 1946 number 696 i believe ,and as far as i could tell it basically said position lights lf / rt wing /tail were all that are required.


john arellano

[Garry Crookham]

FAR 91.205 (c)(3) lists the required instruments and equipment for VFR night flying. Some form of anticollision lighting is required to be legal at night. Anticollision lighting systems (rotating beacons and/or strobes) must meet a set of visibility requirements when installed after August 1971. Most strobe systems come with a set of instructions that provide guidance on checking to make sure the requirements are satisfied when installed. Strobes on wing tips will usually meet the requirements but it's best to check to make sure.

Garry Crookham
N5112M
Tulsa

[yerich109]

I thought because of the instruments (and lack thereof), the T-crafts were certified for DAY VFR only.

[yerich109]

Don't position lights just get to legal to operate 30 min before sunrise and 30 min after sunset.

Different definition from night flying...