Night Rating

As issued, your Private Pilot License allows you to fly only during daylight hours. You may want to extend the usefulness of your license by obtaining the Night Rating.

There is no formal groundschool, written examination or flight test required in order to obtain the rating. There are minimum flight times, however, and your instructor must recommend you for issuance.

Minimum flight times are:

Dual Instruction:

1. 5 hours night, including 2 hours night cross-country
   
   
2. 10 hours instrument flight time, in addition to a: above (i.e., instrument instruction obtained at night counts only towards the instrument requirement, not the night flight requirement)

Solo Flight:

1. 5 hours night, including at least 10 takeoffs, circuits and landings

If you recently obtained your Private License, you will already have at least 5 of the required 10 hours instrument flight time, so the time to obtain the Night Rating can be reduced accordingly. If you obtained your Private license some years ago, and have no instrument time logged with an instructor, then you will need to undertake the full 10 hours of instrument flight training.

Assuming that you obtained your Private License recently, then a typical course would be as below. For the current course rates, please consult the Rates section of the website.

• 2 hours ground briefing
• 5 hours night dual instruction
• 5 hours instrument instruction
• 5 hours solo flight

Those working towards their Commercial License will meet requirements for the Night Rating in the course of their training. A separate night rating is not required. Likewise, if properly documented, the Night Rating can be applied towards the Commercial license.

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VFR OTT Rating

Beginning October 10, 1996, Transport Canada authorized the VFR Over-The-Top rating. With this rating, it is possible to depart under Visual Flight Rules, fly enroute to the destination over a broken or overcast ceiling, and descend under VFR to the destination. This opens up considerable opportunities for pilots without instrument ratings to fly above a lower layer, at good terrain-clearance altitudes, without the need to descend beneath the layer to remain legal.

Specific training for the VFR OTT rating may be obtained by those who hold a Private Pilot license (it may NOT be attached to a Recreational Pilot Permit). Those who already hold a Commercial Pilot license (Aeroplane) or an Instrument Rating are deemed to hold the rating with no additional training.

To obtain the VFR OTT rating, you must obtain at least 15 hours of instrument flight instruction. No written exam or flight test is required, although like the Night Rating, you must demonstrate to your instructor the required level of competency. Those who recently obtained a Private Pilot license will already have 5 of the 15 required hours, thereby reducing the requirement for additional training.

Assuming 5 hours of instrument time previously obtained, then a typical course for obtaining the VFR OTT rating would be as below. For the current course rates, please consult the Rates section of the website.

• 3 hours ground briefing (weather forecasts and instrument navigation charts)
• 10 hours instrument flight time (including 1 dual OTT cross-country flight)

Like the Night Rating, instructional time logged while obtaining the VFR OTT rating may be applied to completion of the Commercial Pilot requirements should you so desire.

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