UA.V.C.K7: Procedures for operations at night.

ACS Area V — Operations Task C: Emergency Procedures References: ACAdvisory CircularCloseFAA guidance that explains acceptable ways to comply with rules or understand FAA procedures. 107-2; FAAFederal Aviation AdministrationCloseThe U.S. aviation regulator responsible for Part 107 rules, airspace, and pilot certification processes.-H-8083-25; FAAFederal Aviation AdministrationCloseThe U.S. aviation regulator responsible for Part 107 rules, airspace, and pilot certification processes.-G-8082-22; SAFOsSafety Alert for OperatorsCloseFAA safety alert that shares operational safety information. 09013, 10017, 15010

Key Concepts

Night Emergency Planning and Preflight

At night, the best emergency procedure begins before launch. Part 107 requires the remote PICRemote Pilot in CommandCloseThe certificated remote pilot responsible for the Part 107 operation. to complete a preflight familiarization, inspection, and other actions under § 107.49. Your assessment must, at a minimum, cover local weather; local airspace and any flight restrictions; the location of persons and moving vehicles not directly participating in the operation; whether the aircraft is eligible for any operations over people or moving vehicles; the potential for nonparticipants entering the operational area; whether the operation will be conducted over an open-air assembly; and other ground hazards. FAAFederal Aviation AdministrationCloseThe U.S. aviation regulator responsible for Part 107 rules, airspace, and pilot certification processes. publications on topics such as aviation weather, aircraft performance, emergency procedures, risk mitigation, and airspace should be reviewed as part of this planning. At the planning stage, also identify the type of airspace using the B4UFLYB4UFLYCloseFAA-recognized planning tool for checking nearby airspace and flight restrictions before a drone flight. app or a current aeronautical chart of the area. These steps directly support safer contingency decisions at night, when hazards and traffic can be harder to detect. ^[6]

People and Moving Vehicles During Night Contingencies

If an in-flight contingency requires rerouting or landing at night, remember the limitations for operations over moving vehicles. When the operation is not within or over a closed- or restricted-access site, you must not maintain sustained flight over any moving vehicle; only brief transit is permitted. Within a closed/restricted-access site, flight over moving vehicles is allowed for participants, and nonparticipants must be “on notice” per the applicable category. Category 4 aircraft may operate over people and moving vehicles if not prohibited by the FAAFederal Aviation AdministrationCloseThe U.S. aviation regulator responsible for Part 107 rules, airspace, and pilot certification processes.-approved Flight Manual or other Administrator-specified limitations. These distinctions matter when selecting an alternate route or landing point at night. ^[2]

Know your aircraft’s eligibility:

• Category 1 covers small unmanned aircraft weighing 0.55 pounds (250 grams) or less at takeoff and throughout flight. ^[2]
• Category 2 requires design/production or modification such that the aircraft will not cause injury equivalent to or greater than 11 foot-pounds of kinetic energy, has no exposed rotating parts that would lacerate human skin, and has no safety defects. The aircraft must display a permanent English label indicating Category 2 eligibility, and you must have operating instructions covering the required system components, system limitations and declared category, allowable modifications, and how to verify/change modes or configurations. These details are critical when deciding whether you can overfly people or vehicles during a nighttime diversion. ^[4]

Airspace, Authorizations, and Airports Affecting Night Emergency Actions

Night operations often intersect with controlled environments. Some UASUnmanned Aircraft SystemCloseAn unmanned aircraft plus its control station, communication links, and supporting components. operations in the NASNational Airspace SystemCloseThe shared U.S. airspace system that drones must operate within. are approved outside special use airspace via an FAAFederal Aviation AdministrationCloseThe U.S. aviation regulator responsible for Part 107 rules, airspace, and pilot certification processes. Certificate of Waiver or Authorization (COACertificate of Waiver or AuthorizationCloseFAA authorization often used by public aircraft operators or special operations.) or a special airworthiness certificate. These approvals contain specific geographic boundaries and altitudes, usually require coordination with ATCAir Traffic ControlCloseThe system that manages controlled airspace, traffic flow, and aircraft separation services., and typically require issuing a NOTAMNotice to Airmen / Notice to Air MissionsCloseOfficial notice about temporary conditions, hazards, or changes that can affect a flight. describing the operation. Observers are required to provide “see-and-avoid” capability to the UASUnmanned Aircraft SystemCloseAn unmanned aircraft plus its control station, communication links, and supporting components. crew and ensure compliance with 14 CFRCode of Federal RegulationsCloseThe federal rulebook where Part 107, Part 89, Part 48, and other aviation rules live. § 91.113. For UASUnmanned Aircraft SystemCloseAn unmanned aircraft plus its control station, communication links, and supporting components. approved at or above FL180Flight LevelCloseAltitude expressed using a standard pressure setting, mainly relevant to higher-altitude crewed aviation., the flights operate under instrument flight rules, are in communication with ATCAir Traffic ControlCloseThe system that manages controlled airspace, traffic flow, and aircraft separation services., and are appropriately equipped. If you are operating under such approvals at night, your emergency options must keep you within the defined boundaries and coordination requirements. ^[5]

UASUnmanned Aircraft SystemCloseAn unmanned aircraft plus its control station, communication links, and supporting components. operations may be approved at either controlled or uncontrolled airports and are typically disseminated by NOTAMNotice to Airmen / Notice to Air MissionsCloseOfficial notice about temporary conditions, hazards, or changes that can affect a flight.. All approved operations must comply with applicable regulations and/or special provisions specified in the COACertificate of Waiver or AuthorizationCloseFAA authorization often used by public aircraft operators or special operations. or in the operating limitations of the special airworthiness certificate. At uncontrolled airports, UASUnmanned Aircraft SystemCloseAn unmanned aircraft plus its control station, communication links, and supporting components. operations are advised to operate well clear of all known manned aircraft operations; at controlled airports, local ATCAir Traffic ControlCloseThe system that manages controlled airspace, traffic flow, and aircraft separation services. procedures may be in place to handle UASUnmanned Aircraft SystemCloseAn unmanned aircraft plus its control station, communication links, and supporting components. operations without requiring special procedures from manned aircraft. Plan nighttime contingencies that respect these constraints. ^[5]

Weather and Hazard Triggers for Immediate Action

Electrical storms pose significant risk; lightning can travel great distances beyond the thunderstorm itself. Procedures for hazardous operations emphasize that no electrical storms (thunderstorms) should be present within 10 nautical miles. Treat this 10 NMNautical MileCloseA distance unit used in aviation. One nautical mile is about 1.15 statute miles. buffer as a clear hazard cue for conservative decision-making at night, when visual cues are degraded and weather can develop rapidly. These procedures underscore the need for attention to weather conditions, static electricity, and fire/spill potential—factors that should drive timely termination or diversion decisions after dark. ^[8]