microlight flying at night

More nuanced answer.

it has been flying about a bit tonight 12.00 -12.30 , is this normal,

Can an aircraft fly outside controlled airspace at night?
Yes.
The rules are linked to departure/arrival location (which probably rules ILAS field out)

legal?

So it's possible that they may have been there correctly.

I have seen a micro light here in Ballon a couple of times but also saw this the other day.

https://www.gsi.ie/en-ie/programmes-and-projects/tellus/where-we-are-operating/Pages/Current-airborne-survey-area.aspx

ILAS Permit aircraft are specifically excluded from flying at night unless given an exemption to do so from the IAA. Not even night VFR. Night VFR is very restricted in Ireland even for certified general aviation aircraft.

duskyjoe wrote: »

Think you can only fly vfr at night in a control zone ....

No.

It is possible to depart an airfield just before the end of VFR fly across country after the end of VFR and arrive at a suitable Airport.
Equally it is possible to depart a controlled airport before the start of VFR and arrive at a different airfield just after the start of VFR.

duskyjoe wrote: »

The above is just a twisted muddle of words. Can someone put up a link to the relevant SI re Night VFR in the state please . Second reference to micro lights- they are not approved night vfr control zone or not - end .

Essentially you must depart and arrive at an aerodrome approved for Night VFR operations (all the state and regional airports at least, not sure about others).

AnRothar is just pointing out that you could leave a non-approved aerodrome during daylight, with the plan to arrive at an approved one after nightfall, or vice versa in the morning.

That’s the situation generally, I have no idea about the ILAS permit aircraft.

https://www.iaa.ie/docs/default-source/publications/aeronautical-notices/r---rules-of-the-air/vfr-flights-at-night-in-the-shannon-fir.pdf?sfvrsn=baa70df3_10

No microlight (NMAI,not ILAS)is allowed to fly at night.Individuals may have conducted Night VFR in them but that's illegal and at their own risk. Even the best equipped microlight (not weighing greater than 450 kgs) is not allowed to fly at night. Apart from that,no Permit aircraft (ILAS or NMAI)is allowed to fly at night unless it has been approved to do so by the IAA on an individual basis. In the UK,the LAA are conducting trials to allow some IFR flight by certain permit aircraft.

duskyjoe wrote: »

You don’t even have have to have a fully fledged ppl to fly a micro light and your dictating to all here to kick the tyres and the light the two strokes and off we go at night . I wish an officer of the IAA was around these parts to put an end to these far fetched precedings. It ain’t happening in a micro light night vfr ... end of or your trolling

To be fair that’s not what AnRothar is saying and I think you know it. They responded to the question of whether Night VFR was allowed outside CTRs generally, showing that it is. Then they made the point that we don’t really know what OP meant by microlight as to the uninitiated that might mean anything from a paramotor to a twin Beechcraft, which I agree with.

Stovepipe wrote: »

Night VFR was not allowed outside Control Zones for years .

World has moved on, PM sent.