Rating Overview
What is a Night Rating?
The Night Rating extends the privileges of your Private Pilot License so you can fly at night, not just by day. It builds directly on the flying you already learned during your PPL and adds the specific skills, references and judgement that night operations demand.
It is usually the first rating a pilot adds after the PPL, because it opens up far more usable flying time and lays important groundwork for instrument flying later on.
All Programs
Explore every training path at Sky Team Aviation.
Flight Training Requirements
Your Night Rating totals 10 hours of dual flight, of which about 5 hours are instrument time, with the flight test included.
10
Dual flight hours
5
Instrument flying hours
VFR
Night operations
License Privileges
What You Can Do With a Night Rating
The Night Rating extends your existing PPL privileges to include night operations.
Night Rating
Issued by the SA-CAA
Night PIC
Fly single-engine aircraft at night under VFR
Granted
Day VFR
Your existing day privileges are retained
Granted
Instrument flight
Not granted by this rating alone
Compensation
Personal use only; no paid flying
Important Note
This rating extends personal flying privileges to night VFR. It does not authorise flying for compensation; that requires a Commercial Pilot License.
Qualifications
Examinations & Your Pilot Journey
To obtain your Night Rating, you must complete the required examinations. This milestone sits on a structured aviation career path.
01
Practical
Night Check
A skill test with a designated examiner covering circuits, approaches and landings at night. One written theory subject is also required.
Skill test with examiner
Your Path Beyond PPL
Your progression follows a structured pathway toward becoming a professional airline pilot.
1
PPL
Earlier stage
2
Night Rating
You are here
3
Instrument Rating
Upcoming
4
Multi Engine
Upcoming
5
CPL
Upcoming
6
CFI
Upcoming
7
Type Rating
Upcoming
8
ATPL
Upcoming
Current milestone
Earlier & upcoming stages
Training Duration
Time to Complete
2 weeks–1 month
Your training timeline depends on how consistently you train and how quickly you progress.
Factor 01
Training frequency
Factor 02
Student availability
Factor 03
Weather conditions
Factor 04
Learning pace
Sky Team in South Africa
A short montage from Sky Team Aviation Academy.
SACAA Night Rating Requirements
Night Rating training is delivered in South Africa, where the official examination is set and conducted by the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) — it is listed among the requirements on this page. Requirements are set by the authority and can change over time, and what a South African licence means for your own pathway depends on where you intend to fly. Confirm the current requirements with the SACAA, and with the authority that will issue or validate your licence.
Student Accommodation
In this video, Sky Team explains how student accommodation is arranged.
Prerequisites
Who Can Apply
To enrol in the Night Rating, you must hold the following prerequisite qualifications.
Prerequisite
A valid Private Pilot License (PPL).
Medical
Class 2 medical certificate
English proficiency: ICAO English language proficiency, Level 4 minimum, is required.
Training fleet: Cessna 172, Piper PA-28, Beechcraft Baron 55, Diamond DA42.
Our admissions team is happy to walk you through every step, from medicals to paperwork, so you can start training with full confidence.
Entry Requirements
Full requirements checklist
1
Hold a valid Private Pilot License (PPL).
2
Pass a practical flight test conducted by an authorised examiner.
3
Complete 10 hours of dual flight in total, of which about 5 hours are instrument time, flown on an approved simulator (such as an FNPT-II) and in an actual aircraft, typically a Cessna 172.
4
Your night flying is completed within these 10 hours and includes at least 5 night take-offs and landings and one night cross-country flight of at least 150 nautical miles with two full-stop landings at two different airports away from base.
5
The night skill test is conducted by an authorised examiner. It takes about an hour and is included within the 10 hours, so no additional hours are required.
6
Pass the official South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) examination.
Meet the requirements? The next step is your application.
Investment
Night Rating Cost for Students in Egypt & the Gulf
The cost of obtaining a Night Rating depends on your training pace, flight hours, and overall progression.
Personalized Quote
Night Rating Training Plan
Your investment is tailored to your training plan.
Every student progresses differently, which means your total investment is influenced by how consistently you train and how efficiently you build your flight hours.
Students who train more consistently complete faster, and spend less overall.
What Influences Your Cost 4 Key Factors
01
Flight hours required
Minimum hours plus any additional time you may need to feel confident.
Variable
02
Training frequency
How often you fly each week, consistency keeps progress steady and efficient.
Variable
03
Aircraft usage
The aircraft type and total flight time used during your training.
Variable
04
Individual progress
Your learning pace, every pilot is different and we adapt to suit you.
Variable
Final Investment
Tailored to your plan
Speak with our team for full breakdown
Ready to Begin?
Get Your Personalized Cost Breakdown
Speak with our team to receive a clear, structured breakdown tailored to your training plan, no commitment required.
No commitment
Tailored plan
We call back within 24 hours
What pilots earn — and why we will not print a number here
Pay is the question everyone arrives with, and it is the one where most of what you will read online is invented. There is no single pilot salary. What a pilot is paid depends on the airline, the aircraft, the seat, the hours flown in a given month and the country the contract is written in — and most of the figures circulating online name no source at all.
So this page will not print one. What we will say is what the Night Rating changes about your position: it lets you fly at night, which a private licence alone does not permit, and that is what moves you along the ladder that pay follows. We have written separately about how pilot pay is actually built up — basic, housing, flight-hour allowances — and why two pilots on the same licence can be paid very differently. Read that before you judge any number you are quoted.
Why Students Choose Sky Team
In this video, we explain why students choose Sky Team Aviation Academy.
Ask about the Night Rating
Tell us your age and schooling. The admissions team confirms whether you qualify and calls you back within 24 hours.
Night Rating FAQs
Common questions about Night Rating training at SkyTeam Aviation.
Do I need a PPL first?
Yes. A valid PPL and a current aviation medical are required before you can begin the Night Rating.
Are there extra written exams?
There is one written theory subject; the flying itself is assessed by a practical night check.
Can I fly for pay afterwards?
No. It extends your private privileges to night flying. Paid flying requires a Commercial Pilot License.
How long does it take?
Usually two weeks to a month, depending on availability, weather and how consistently you fly.
Where this takes you
Sky Team is an admissions and placement office: we place students with a flight academy in South Africa, and the academy delivers the training under its own civil aviation authority. What you leave with is a licence recognised on that authority’s terms — not a job offer, because no training provider anywhere can offer you one.
What the Night Rating does is open a specific door: it lets you fly at night, which a private licence alone does not permit. The next stage in Sky Team’s training sequence is the instrument rating. We have Saudi students who have been through us and hold both the private and the commercial licence.
What comes after that is an airline’s decision, not ours, and it turns on your hours, your ratings, your medical and your English. Anyone who tells you a training course comes with a seat at the end of it is selling you something we would not.
