DGCA night flying time is the part of a flight flown between half an hour after sunset and half an hour before sunrise, the definition in Schedule II of the Aircraft Rules, 1937. To log it, take the sunset and sunrise times for the day, add or subtract 30 minutes, and count the block time that falls inside that window as night.
Where the DGCA night definition comes from
The definition isn't in Rule 3, the list of definitions. It sits in Schedule II, Section A, paragraph 4: "Flight by night for the purpose of this Schedule, except where otherwise stated, means a flight performed between the period of half an hour after sunset and half an hour before sunrise."
DGCA's own instructions for the eGCA e-logbook point back to that paragraph: "Details of flight time by Night shall be as per Para 4 of section A, Schedule II of the Aircraft rules 1937."
The Aircraft Rules, 1937 are still in force. The Bharatiya Vayuyan Adhiniyam, 2024 replaced the old Act, but its section 43 keeps rules made under it. Draft replacement rules were published in July 2025, and as of 21 October 2026, DGCA still lists the 1937 Rules as the current text.
Three different "nights" in Indian aviation
Pilots mix these up, and they give different answers.
- Logbook night: half an hour after sunset to half an hour before sunrise (Schedule II). It decides your night hours and night landings.
- Night duty for FDTL: any duty touching 00:00 to 06:00 in the time zone you are acclimatised to (CAR 7-J-III, para 3.11). It decides your duty limits, not your logbook.
- Local night for rest: 8 hours between 22:00 and 08:00 (CAR 7-J-III, para 3.10).
A flight that lands at 22:30 in October is logbook night, but if you are off duty before 00:00 it is not a night duty. A duty from 04:00 to 09:00 is a night duty, even though most of it is daylight.
Logbooks kept to EASA or FAA rules use civil twilight instead (the sun 6° below the horizon). In Pilotbook that is how the two rule sets differ, so the same flight can show two night figures.
How to work out night time for a flight
Flight time in India is block to block: "from the moment the aeroplane first moves for the purpose of taking off until the moment it finally comes to rest" (Rule 3(22)). Night time is the part of that block time inside the night window.
- Get sunset and sunrise. India's official tables are AIP India GEN 2.7, prepared from India Meteorological Department data, in IST, airport by airport.
- Build the window. Add 30 minutes to sunset and subtract 30 minutes from sunrise.
- Compare with your block times. Count the minutes between OUT and IN that fall inside the window.
- Check each take-off and landing. A take-off or landing made inside the window counts as a night take-off or landing.
A worked example
Delhi to Mumbai on 21 October 2026. AIP GEN 2.7 gives sunset at 17:46 IST in Delhi and 18:12 IST in Mumbai.
| Time (IST) | |
|---|---|
| OUT, Delhi | 17:30 |
| OFF | 17:50 |
| ON | 19:45 |
| IN, Mumbai | 19:55 |
| Block time | 2:25 |
- Using Delhi's sunset, night starts at 18:16. Night time is 19:55 − 18:16 = 1:39, and day time is 0:46.
- Using Mumbai's sunset, night starts at 18:42. Night time is 1:13.
- The take-off at 17:50 is a day take-off under either. The landing at 19:45 is a night landing at Mumbai.
That 26-minute gap is real, and the rule doesn't settle it. Neither Schedule II nor any DGCA circular says whether to use the departure airport, the arrival airport or the aircraft's position along the route, or which almanac to use. Pick one method, use it every time, and be ready to explain it when your logbook is checked.
How to log it in eGCA
In the eGCA e-logbook you choose a "Shift Time" for each flight: Day, Night or Both.
- With Day or Night, eGCA puts the whole duration under that shift.
- With Both, you type the day and night durations yourself.
- Times for flights with Indian operators go in UTC, so convert your IST sunset times before you split a flight.
So the split is yours to work out: eGCA's manual describes no calculation from the sun. Airline pilots see the operator's entries instead: Operations Circular 03 of 2024 requires the airline's e-logbook to carry a "day/night classification as per CAR" for every flight, which you then certify. At a flying school, the electronic Flight Authorization Register asks for sunrise and sunset times in UTC.
Night hours you need for a licence
Schedule II sets the night experience for each licence:
- CPL (A): at least 5 hours of night flight time, including 10 take-offs and 10 landings as pilot in command, within the six months before you apply.
- ATPL (A): at least 100 hours of night flight time. The ATPL application form counts 50% of co-pilot night hours towards it.
- PPL night rating: at least 5 hours by night, including 5 take-offs and 5 landings in the preceding six months.
To carry passengers at night on a CPL, you need 10 take-offs and 10 landings by night as pilot in command in the previous six months.
Let your logbook do the arithmetic
Pilotbook, an iPhone logbook from Tera Labs, checks every block minute against DGCA night at the aircraft's position: at the departure airport until take-off, along the route in flight, and at the arrival airport after landing. It credits a night take-off or landing when it happens in DGCA night at that airport, if you were pilot flying. You can change any figure, and it never changes it back. Pilotbook is coming soon to the App Store: see what it does.
Questions people ask
What is night time as per DGCA?
Half an hour after sunset to half an hour before sunrise, from Schedule II, Section A, paragraph 4 of the Aircraft Rules, 1937.
Is DGCA logbook night the same as night duty under the FDTL rules?
No. Logbook night follows the sun. FDTL night duty is any duty touching 00:00 to 06:00 in the time zone you are acclimatised to.
Where do I find sunrise and sunset times for Indian airports?
AIP India GEN 2.7 publishes them for each aerodrome for the year, in IST, from India Meteorological Department data.
How many night hours do I need for a CPL in India?
At least 5 hours of night flight time, including 10 take-offs and 10 landings as pilot in command, within the six months before you apply.