The Night Rating course builds on the skills you learnt as part of your PPL and adapts them for night/dark flying conditions. Once you’re issued with a Night Rating you can fly with or without passengers, in [generally] smoother & less windy conditions at night.

Night Rating Requirements

If the conditions are suitable, then you have the option to complete the course during the last five hours of your PPL. Otherwise, to start your Night Rating you need to hold a PPL with a valid single-engine piston (land) rating and a medical certificate with no restrictions to flying at night.

There is no official ground school requirement for the Night Rating.  However, your instructor will guide you through the various Human Performance, Air Law and Technical aspects of flight at night as part of the course.

Night flying is usually available when the hours of darkness coincide with your flight school's opening hours. In the UK this is generally from the end of October until the beginning of March. It is important to plan your modular training around this.