student night flights

[Flyinghog]

If a SEL private student logs 3 or more night t/o's & full stop landings (dual)before receiving private cert., will they legally be able to take PAX without any further solo PIC at night w/in the 90 day period?

 

[midlifeflyer]

Sure. Can you find anything the the currency reg that excludes landings done as a student pilot or that requires that the pilot be PIC or solo when the currency landings are performed?

 

[CJCCapt]

If a SEL private student logs 3 or more night t/o's & full stop landings (dual)before receiving private cert., will they legally be able to take PAX without any further solo PIC at night w/in the 90 day period?

Two separate issues.

He must meet the requirements of 14 CFR Part 61.109 to take his Private checkride. This doesn't include making 3 t/o and landings at night within the past 90 days. It does include making 10 t/o and landings to a full stop...at an airport at night - 61.109(a)(2)(ii). He could have made them years ago, just as long as he made them.

He must make 3 t/o and landings to a full stop during the period beginning one hour after sunset and ending 1 hour before sunrise within the past 90 days - 61.57(b)(1) - to carry passengers. That regulation does not require the pilot to have been certified at the time he made them. So he can look back in his log book prior to his checkride to make sure he's within the 90 day limit. There are exceptions to this rule in 61.57(e).

For example, he fly's with a flight instructor in January where he does his 10 night t/o and landings to a full stop. He takes his checkride (successfully) in June. In July he wants to take his girlfriend up at night to see the city lights. He's outside of the 90 day requirement and must make three t/o and landings to a full stop solo before his lady can join him on the flight. This reg gets busted by a lot by pilots who start a flight (with pax) in the daylight intending to land in daylight, but get a late start and end up landing at night.

 

[Flyerjosh]

Whoa. Wait a minute.

A student pilot cannot carry passengers. Period. So if you are speaking of a private pilot student that has not taken their private pilot checkride, it's a moot point.

If the student is a rated private pilot (IE did the landings with an instructor prior to taking the checkride, and now is rated and wants to go fly with PAX), then he must meet the criteria that has already been stated in this thread.

For the purposes of determining whether or not landings counted towards currency, it doesn't matter if the flight was dual or not, or if passengers were on board at the time of the landing (assuming that you were landing current at the time of such landings). All that matters is that you are the sole manipulator of the controls.

 

[CJCCapt]

Whoa. Wait a minute.

A student pilot cannot carry passengers...

I agree. Sorry I didn't mean to imply that a student pilot can carry pax. They can't. What I was saying is the 90 day night t/o and landing requirement is just that...a 90 day requirement. If the last 3 night t/o and landings occurred before a Private checkride they can still be used to meet the reg after the private checkride...as long as it's within 90 days.

 

[Flyerjosh]

I agree. Sorry I didn't mean to imply that a student pilot can carry pax. They can't. What I was saying is the 90 day night t/o and landing requirement is just that...a 90 day requirement. If the last 3 night t/o and landings occurred before a Private checkride they can still be used to meet the reg after the private checkride...as long as it's within 90 days.

No problem... its just the way that the original question is worded, I don't want any potential students misconstruing the question... I totally agree with your posts... just wanted to make sure that the black and white was just that. ~J

 

[NYCPilot]

Let's say you make 3 full stop landings at night with your CFI the night before your PP checkride. The day you become certified, you could go out at night and fly around with passengers as you have made the required 3 takeoffs and landings.

Keep this in mind though, although there is a separate endorsement a CFI can give a student pilot to fly solo at night, chances are all of your night time flying has been with an instructor. You should probably do some night flight by yourself as a certificated private before putting passengers in the plane for a night flight.