Part 107 Night Operations: Civil Twilight, Anti-Collision Lighting and Night Vision for the Test

Operation at night became the 13th knowledge area of the Part 107 test on April 6, 2021, and the ACS spreads it across several tasks: the rule itself, lighting and night hazards in the airspace task, night physiology and illusions, night emergency procedures, and preflight inspection for night flights. Rule details and eye physiology can come up in the same question, so this guide covers both.

The two conditions for Part 107 night flying

14 CFR 107.29(a) allows night operation only if both of these are true:

1. The remote pilot is qualified for night. The remote pilot in command completed an initial knowledge test or training under 107.65 after April 6, 2021. The FAA's April 2021 testing notice says a UAG test passed "on or after" that date meets the night requirement, so the two FAA texts differ for a test taken on April 6, 2021 itself. For anyone flying today the difference is academic: 107.65 already requires a qualifying test or training within the previous 24 calendar months, and that falls long after April 2021.
2. The drone is lit. It has lighted anti-collision lighting visible for at least 3 statute miles, with a flash rate sufficient to avoid a collision.

The FAA's Operations Over People overview describes these as the two conditions for routine night operations, allowed without a waiver since the rule took effect on April 21, 2021. AC 107-2A describes the qualifying training as recurrent training updated to include night operations, so a pilot certificated before April 6, 2021 gains night privileges by completing current recurrent training, as the Part 107 recurrent training guide explains. Night waivers issued under the old system are gone: 107.29(d) says that after May 17, 2021, no one may fly at night under a certificate of waiver issued before April 21, 2021.

Night and civil twilight, defined for Part 107

AC 107-2A uses the definition in 14 CFR 1.1: night is the time between the end of evening civil twilight and the beginning of morning civil twilight, as published in the Air Almanac and converted to local time. For Part 107, civil twilight is set in 107.29(c):

In Alaska, civil twilight is the period defined in the Air Almanac. A Passy example: with sunset at 7:42 p.m. in Arizona, civil twilight runs until 8:12 p.m. From 7:42 the drone needs its lights on, and from 8:12 the pilot also needs the post-April 6, 2021 test or training.

The table also shows a point worth noticing: civil twilight flights need the lighting but not the night qualification, because 107.29(b) sets the lighting rule for twilight separately from paragraph (a).

What the anti-collision lighting rule allows

• Dim, don't extinguish. The remote pilot may reduce the intensity of the lighting if operating conditions make that safer, but may not turn it off. AC 107-2A's example: a bright strobe very close to the pilot can make it hard to judge the drone's position, attitude and altitude.
• Manufacturer claims are a start, not the end. The AC says you may rely on the manufacturer's statement that the light is visible for 3 statute miles, but you remain responsible for checking that it works, is visible for 3 statute miles and flashes fast enough at your location.
• No daytime requirement. 107.29 doesn't require lighting during the day. The AC says lighting is generally not effective against collision risk in daylight, though you may use it.
• The lighting rule is waivable. 107.205(b) lists 107.29(a)(2) and (b). The training condition isn't on the list.

Visual line of sight and visibility at night

The rest of Part 107 doesn't relax after dark. Two points from AC 107-2A are worth knowing well:

• You can't rely on the lights or the screen. The AC says a remote pilot cannot rely solely on the anti-collision lighting, the ground control station's telemetry, or both, to meet the visual line of sight rule in 107.31. You still have to see the aircraft's location, attitude, altitude and direction.
• Shrink the operating area. The AC says that in almost all night operations the remote pilot may need to restrict the operating area, because reduced lighting and contrast make visual line of sight harder.

Visibility still has to be at least 3 statute miles. 107.51(c) defines flight visibility as the distance at which prominent unlighted objects can be seen by day, and prominent lighted objects by night.

Night doesn't change airspace or people rules either. The FAA's page for certificated remote pilots says airspace authorizations are still required for night operations in controlled airspace. AC 107-2A says the categories for flying over people are the same at night, as covered in the Part 107 operations over people guide.

Night physiology items belong to the Operations area, and the 212 Operations questions planned for Part 107 prep give that area its own practice once full prep opens.

Night vision facts the Part 107 test draws on

The ACS lists "physiological aspects of night operation" (UA.V.E.K8) and "night illusions" (UA.V.E.K9). The FAA's Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, chapter 17, is the reference, and the FAA's April 2021 testing notice pointed to its aeromedical chapter for the new night questions.

For a remote pilot, the practical versions are simple: let your eyes adapt before launch, keep the control screen dim, don't stare at the drone's light for long, and keep moving your eyes. Facts like these are recall items, and 115 Operations flashcards are planned for full Part 107 prep to drill them.

Lights you will see at night as a remote pilot

The ACS also asks about manned aircraft lighting (UA.II.B.K9) and ground structure lighting (UA.II.B.K7). The FAA's Airplane Flying Handbook, chapter 11, describes both:

• Aircraft position lights: red on the left wingtip, green on the right wingtip, white on the tail. If you see red on the left and green on the right, the airplane is flying the same direction you're facing. If red is on the right and green on the left, it is heading toward you and could be on a collision course.
• Obstruction lights: flashing red beacons mark obstructions or hazardous areas, steady red lights mark obstructions on or near airports, and high-intensity flashing white lights mark tall structures such as towers and some transmission line supports.

Unlit hazards are the other half (UA.II.B.K8). AC 107-2A's risk assessment guidance lists unlit towers and buildings in the operating area as a night hazard to identify before flight. A practical habit is to walk or fly the site in daylight first and note every wire, pole and tree.

Preflight and emergency planning for Part 107 night flights

The ACS includes preflight inspection for night operations (UA.V.F.K6) and procedures for operations at night (UA.V.C.K7). A practical checklist, not an FAA form:

1. Confirm your test or training date is after April 6, 2021, and carry your certificate.
2. Check the anti-collision light works, is visible for 3 statute miles and is set to a safe intensity.
3. Check airspace and any authorization you need, as you would by day.
4. Plan a smaller operating area, and a lost-link and return plan that clears every obstacle you noted in daylight.
5. Brief any visual observer on how you'll communicate in the dark.

Night items mix rule recall with physiology, which makes them good material for explanations you can question: AI Rescue, planned for Part 107 prep, can explain why a night-rule answer you chose was wrong. The free Part 107 practice questions work today, and the Part 107 numbers guide puts the night figures next to the other limits.