To carry passengers at night, what must a commercial pilot do?

To carry passengers at night, a commercial pilot is required to have made night landings as part of their recent flights. This requirement is outlined in the Federal Aviation Regulations (FARs), specifically under the section concerning currency for carrying passengers. The pilot needs to have completed at least three takeoffs and three landings to a full stop at night within the preceding 90 days. This ensures that the pilot is proficient in night operations, which can be significantly different from daytime flying due to reduced visibility, potential for increased fatigue, and the challenge of spatial orientation in low light conditions. Having this recent experience is critical for ensuring safety and competence when flying passengers at night.

Other choices such as completing an additional night training course or demonstrating night operations in a simulator may be beneficial for training purposes but do not fulfill the specific regulatory requirements for carrying passengers at night. Similarly, having a separate night flying logbook is not a regulatory requirement, although pilots may keep records of their flights in various formats for personal tracking purposes.