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Touring Motor Gliders Association (TMGA)

Night flight in Ximango


Kenn Sebesta

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Were any of the Ximangos certified for night VFR? The one AFM I can find specifically says "Approved for operation in day VFR only", although there are pictures of some Ximangos with wing-tip position lights.

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My Ximango, #135, has nav lights (red/green/white) and strobes. My understanding is if you are so rated (Private SEL or higher) you can indeed fly it at night. If you only have a glider rating with a self-launch endorsement you cannot. This was related to me by the late Jim McCann, the former west coast rep for Ximango USA/Aeromot.

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On 6/26/2022 at 12:08 PM, Thermalseeker said:

My Ximango, #135, has nav lights (red/green/white) and strobes. My understanding is if you are so rated (Private SEL or higher) you can indeed fly it at night. If you only have a glider rating with a self-launch endorsement you cannot. This was related to me by the late Jim McCann, the former west coast rep for Ximango USA/Aeromot.

 

Well, let's take a look at the regs:
 

(b) Night takeoff and landing experience.

(1) Except as provided in paragraph (e) of this section, no person may act as pilot in command of an aircraft carrying passengers during the period beginning 1 hour after sunset and ending 1 hour before sunrise, unless within the preceding 90 days that person has made at least three takeoffs and three landings to a full stop during the period beginning 1 hour after sunset and ending 1 hour before sunrise, and -

(i) That person acted as sole manipulator of the flight controls; and

(ii) The required takeoffs and landings were performed in an aircraft of the same category, class, and type (if a type rating is required).

(2) The takeoffs and landings required by paragraph (b)(1) of this section may be accomplished in a full flight simulator that is -

(i) Approved by the Administrator for takeoffs and landings, if the visual system is adjusted to represent the period described in paragraph (b)(1) of this section; and

(ii) Used in accordance with an approved course conducted by a training center certificated under part 142 of this chapter.

 

So basically a glider pilot with a self launch endorsement does the three recent take offs and landings then they can carry passenger.  While the a PPL SEL does have the three hours of training for night flying, glider pilots do not.  

This is a seriously grey area where I could not find a regulation preventing any glider pilot from night flying.  If you have the lights, you can fly, if you do the three sorties then you can carry passengers.  

So any body else has a better read on the regs?  This is not about I am right/wrong thing, I am just interesting in finding the truth. 

 

 

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It's been a long time since I took Rules and Regs at ERAU, but I recall a requirement that you must be current at night to carry a passenger, IOW, 3 TO's and 3 Landings in the previous 90 days at night in type. 

As far as finding the truth with the FAA, good luck! This is one of those things that depends on who you talk to on any given day. I recall Claudio Vianna telling me that nav lights were added to the TC along with the full gear door set, winglets and a few other goodies in the AMT-200s Super Ximango and the AMT-300 Shark. On later models that don't have lights installed the wire chases (conduit) in the wings are probably there. We had a Ximango come through the shop for gear up landing repairs, including a skinned up wing tip. That one didn't have lights, but it did have the wire chase for the light wiring installed in both wings.

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I believe a few were okay'd for night flight, as delivered. The sticky wicket is instrument and panel lighting. A string of LEDs from ACE Hardware won't cut it. Some installed instruments, like the Westech engine gauges, have provisions for backlighting, others, not. Bringing that to life is a rather tedious wiring job.

 

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It's not too bad, but you will need a spare fuse and friendly IA to sign it off. Spruce has an LED light bar that goes under the top lip of the panel, casting red or white light down. That would work nicely. I did the panel in my Europa and used LED rings around each instrument. That works, but you only have the option of white light. Red is better for night vision.

It's tough to fly out of my strip at night because of all the deer. Susan and I came back from a fly-in up in Kentucky in my Europa, arriving after dark. My strip is lighted with a VASI. So, no biggie there. I did a pass through with the landing light on wigwag to make sure there weren't any deer on the runway. All was clear, so I came around and landed. As we were rolling out I looked to the left and there were six sets of eyes watching from just off the side of the runway. One of those things that sets your knees to knocking 45 seconds after it happens. Haven't flown out of here at night since. LOL!

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  • 1 year later...

FAR 91.205—In addition to the day requirements, your airplane needs position lights; anti-collision/strobe lights; a landing light if operated for hire; an adequate source of electrical energy to operate the required equipment; and spare fuses (one spare set, or three of each kind.)

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