Part 107 Night Operations: What § 107.29 Requires

Since April 21, 2021, Part 107 has allowed routine night operations under two conditions, without an individual waiver (FAA operations over people overview). Both conditions are in 14 CFR 107.29, and operation at night is one of the knowledge areas of the initial knowledge test and recurrent training (14 CFR 107.73).

Night and civil twilight

• Night is the time between the end of evening civil twilight and the beginning of morning civil twilight, as published in the Air Almanac, converted to local time (14 CFR 1.1).
• Civil twilight, for Part 107, runs from 30 minutes before official sunrise until sunrise, and from official sunset until 30 minutes after sunset. Alaska uses the Air Almanac’s definition instead (14 CFR 107.29(c)).
• Day: § 107.29 does not require anti-collision lighting, though you may choose to fly with lights on (AC 107-2A, para. 5.7.2.2).

The two conditions for night flight

Under § 107.29(a), no one may operate a small unmanned aircraft at night unless:

1. The remote pilot in command completed an initial knowledge test or training under § 107.65 after April 6, 2021. The updated test and recurrent training include night physiology and night visual illusions (AC 107-2A, para. 5.7.2.1). Anyone who passes the initial knowledge test today meets this condition, since the test is taken after that date.
2. The aircraft has lighted anti-collision lighting visible for at least 3 statute miles, with a flash rate sufficient to avoid a collision. The remote pilot in command may reduce its intensity, but may not turn it off, if that is in the interest of safety because of operating conditions (14 CFR 107.29).

Older night waivers are finished: after May 17, 2021, no one may fly at night under a certificate of waiver issued before April 21, 2021 (14 CFR 107.29(d)).

Civil twilight: lights, no extra condition

During civil twilight, § 107.29(b) requires the same anti-collision lighting, visible for at least 3 statute miles, with the same option to reduce but not extinguish it. The training condition in § 107.29(a)(1) applies only to night. FAA sample questions ask, for example, what is required to fly within 30 minutes after official sunset (FAA UAG sample questions); under § 107.29(b) the answer is anti-collision lighting.

Anti-collision lights in practice

• You may rely on the manufacturer’s statement that the lighting is visible for 3 statute miles, but you remain responsible for verifying that it works, is visible for 3 statute miles and has a sufficient flash rate at the operating location (AC 107-2A, para. 5.7.2).
• Dimming exists for safety: a bright strobe very close to the remote pilot could make it hard to judge the aircraft’s location, speed, attitude or altitude (AC 107-2A, para. 5.7.2.2).
• Before a twilight or night flight, check that the lights work and consider whether they reduce the power available; you may need to shorten the planned flight (AC 107-2A, para. 5.11.1).
• Asked about lighting for twilight operations, the FAA says there is currently no standard for drone light colors, position or flash rate, other than being visible for 3 statute miles (FAA UAS FAQ).
• The lighting requirements, § 107.29(a)(2) and (b), can be waived. The training requirement in § 107.29(a)(1) is not on the waiver list (14 CFR 107.205).

Visual line of sight at night

• The visual line of sight rule in § 107.31 does not change at night. Reduced lighting and contrast make it harder to judge the aircraft’s location, attitude, altitude and direction, so you may need to restrict the operating area. You cannot rely solely on the anti-collision lighting, your control station’s telemetry, or both (AC 107-2A, para. 5.9.3).
• The 3-statute-mile flight visibility minimum still applies. At night it is judged by the distance at which prominent lighted objects can be seen and identified (14 CFR 107.51(c)).
• In your risk assessment, consider night vision adaptation when unlit towers and buildings are in the area, and weather or terrain that could keep other aircraft from seeing your light at 3 statute miles (AC 107-2A, p. A-5).
• The categories for flights over people, and their restrictions, are the same at night as by day (AC 107-2A, para. 8.14). See operations over people.

Night vision and illusions

The test’s knowledge elements include physiological aspects of night operation and night illusions (ACS, p. 18). The Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (PHAK) explains them:

• Night blind spot: at night the center of the visual field loses sensitivity. To see an object, look 5° to 10° off center (PHAK, p. 17-22).
• Dark adaptation: the rods can take about 30 minutes to fully adapt to darkness, and a bright light can completely destroy night adaptation (PHAK, p. 17-23).
• Off-center viewing: look about 10° above, below or to either side of an object, and do not hold one point for longer than 2 to 3 seconds, or the image disappears (PHAK, p. 17-23).
• Autokinesis: stare at a single point of light against a dark background and it appears to move, beginning in about 8 to 10 seconds. Visual scanning is the most important defense; do not stare at a light for more than 10 seconds (PHAK, p. 17-26).
• False horizon: when the natural horizon is obscured, bright stars and city lights can be confused, and shoreline lights can be mistaken for stars (PHAK, p. 17-26).
• Flicker vertigo: a light flickering at 4 to 20 cycles per second can cause nausea, vomiting and vertigo (PHAK, p. 17-27).
• Self-imposed stress: the PHAK lists drugs, exhaustion, poor physical conditioning, alcohol, tobacco, and missed meals or poor nutrition as stressors that can limit night vision; of these, cigarette smoking decreases visual sensitivity at night the most (PHAK, p. 17-25).

Test yourself with the regulations questions, which include night operations, and the operations questions on physiology. For the other operating rules, see the Part 107 rules summary.