"Marc Lattoni" wrote
As a VFR only pilot, I thought it pointless to get a night rating due to the
potential difficulties of encountering a "black hole" and not having the
skills to get back to safety.

Doesn't your night rating include several hours of instrument
training? That's what it's for. If it doesn't then get it anyway.
Flting at night without the ability to maintain control on instruments
is just foolhardy, IMO.

Just wondering, how many VFR only pilots have and USE a night rating?

In the US, it comes with the basic private license. Of course so does
some minimal instrument training. I think I had about 150 hours at
night (out of about 700 total) before I got an instrument rating.
Proabbly 20 of those were in "black hole" conditions - legally VFR but
no horizon.

Michael