Use of aircraft lighting

[Big Pistons Forever]

I was recently asked by a new pilot what I taught with regard to the use of aircraft lights in small aircraft

FWIW this is what I told him

Nav lights: off during the day; on at twilight, night.

Red Beacon light: On before starting engine

Taxi light: This is used for conspicuity and as a movement indicator on the ground. So on when you are about to move, moving and off when you are stopped. Never on at the hold line to an active runway.

Strobe lights: on when you enter the runway for takeoff, off when you exit. (Note if you are using an inactive runway as part of your taxi route they should be on while you are on that runway)

Landing lights: On + taxi light when you are cleared for takeoff (controlled airport) or entering the runway for immediate takeoff (uncontrolled airport). Landing and taxi lights should be on when near an airport, in the CTZ, ATZ, at or below 3000 feet AGL or in a designated flight training practice area at all altitudes.

Note 1) for large aircraft the nav lights are used to indicate that electrical power is being supplied to the aircraft, typically from ground power or the APU

Note 2) Some retractable gear aircraft have taxi or landing lights or both mounted on the landing gear (Eg Piper Seneca) so the lights must be turned off when the gear is retracted

[Docbrad]

It's surprising how many FTU's teach students to turn off the landing light 500ft above the ground...

[airspeed250]

Thank you for the informative post.

I've had many instructors tell me that strobes are useless in the daytime - leave them off. Sure, maybe, but every bit helps. Even worse, coming from almost every instructor I've had, including the CFI, is to not use the landing light during the daytime when in the circuit or entering the airport area for landing. "nobody can see it". Meanwhile, I'm sitting on the ground, able to see traffic that is probably 3 miles back only because the person has their landing light on, against a grey sky. Then there is the guy in front of him, no lights, on final that is tough to spot. You would think the landing light in the traffic pattern should be mandatory, or at least common sense mandatory.

Too bad more aircraft do not use a LED rotating beacon. Makes a world of difference.

[AirFrame]

Strobes on at startup, off at shutdown.
Nav and Landing lights on when ready to enter runway, off when leaving runway after landing.

Not what I was taught, but I want to be seen by other aircraft. LED lighting will last so i'm not too worried about the cost of bulbs.

[ahramin]

What is it with the RV pilots wandering around on the ground with their strobes on? I swear I've had to explain this to 3 RV pilots this month.

Good post BPF, and spot on.

Strobes off on the ground unless you are on a runway. Ever had someone with their strobes on pull up next to you at night in a runup bay? Annoying as hell. Plus if you are holding short of a runway with your strobes on the landing pilot is going to be worried you're not holding short.

Nav lights MUST be on on the ground at night, it's not optional.

[iflyforpie]

I've operated planes with no rotten beacon but wing tip strobes. I'll turn those on to alert those on the ground I'm running the engine. During the day, your Whelen strobes aren't going to blind anyone and the newer (non-rotten) beacons are Whelen strobes anyways.

Nav lights. I've heard a few high pitched voices on the radio expressing concern about the safety of their gear, only to find out that the same rheostat that turns the nav lights on makes the gear lights all but invisible in daylight. Piper Arrows, Seminoles, Senecas, and Saratogas are the usual culprits.

Landing lights. If you still live in the 1960s (most of us in GA do ) then you've got those terrible GE 4509 bulbs for landing lights. They last around 5.2 on the Hobbs before they are kaput (3.2 if mounted in the cowl like the 172Ms and Ns). I've tried everything.... turning them off as soon as clearing the runway (duh), filing a new index hole so they can be mounted sideways and (supposedly) make for less stress on the filament, drilling holes in the plexiglass lens for more cooling, and nothing seems to work..... so I use them as sparingly as possible.... only on if I think there is a conflict and the extra visibility will help. Remember, like the radio, lights are not a mandatory conflict resolution device unless regulated to be so. Until they make using landings lights mandatory like DRLs on cars, don't assume that every plane will have them on--or even installed!

Finally, check your switches before you start and after you shut down. We don't need to drain the battery and blind everyone because every light was left on during the last night exercise.

[fish4life]

It's surprising how many FTU's teach students to turn off the landing light 500ft above the ground...

I believe that would probably be a saving money thing and nothing else.

As for strobes +1 to only on when on a runway why do you think you'd need them on while taxing? Beacon on the other hand as far as I know I understand it to pretty much be an international standard that just before engine start the beacon goes on and just after shut down it gets shut down as a signal to ground crews and other aircraft.

[RonReynolds]

coming from almost every instructor I've had, including the CFI, is to not use the landing light during the daytime when in the circuit or entering the airport area for landing. "nobody can see it".

I think this was common practice in a vain attempt to save the life of the incandescent lamps of old. Short life span and expensive to replace.

The new LED landing/taxi lamps are brighter and will out live the airplane...

IMO leave the landing lights on when in flight, they increase your visibility to other tremendously !!! and at no cost too you ...

....and strobes off until on the runway and in the air, and leave them on day and night

[7ECA]

I've operated planes with no rotten beacon but wing tip strobes. I'll turn those on to alert those on the ground I'm running the engine. During the day, your Whelen strobes aren't going to blind anyone and the newer (non-rotten) beacons are Whelen strobes anyways.

Same here, if I'm flying the Citabria, which I used to out of CZBB, there is no beacon, so the strobes are on from start up to shut down.

[AirFrame]

What is it with the RV pilots wandering around on the ground with their strobes on? I swear I've had to explain this to 3 RV pilots this month.

If they're like me, they probably say "thanks for your input" and walk away. RV's typically don't have a rotating beacon, I use my strobe as a visual deterrent to pedestrians walking into my aircraft before I hit the starter.

I'm not night rated (yet, working on it) so my strobes-always-on policy may change. I am aware of the issue after dark, as I have been sitting at the end the runway waiting for landing traffic and realized just how bright the strobe is . Also that it's a good idea not to have your landing light shining up the landing path as they land.

[Colonel Sanders]

At night, nav lights on whenever the engine is
running. Taxi light when the aircraft is moving.

Entering the runway for takeoff, transponder ALT,
pitot heat on, strobes on, landing light on for
maximum visibility.

With the old 4509's, running landing and taxi
lights during the daytime in the air can use the
filaments up pretty quickly.

Another advantage of the LED lights - you can
leave them on, pretty well all the time. They
don't consume any current, they don't make
any heat and they last a long time.

Easy to see at a distance, too, even during the
day.

I'm not a huge fan of those big old mechanical
grinding red rotating beacons. Something off
a 1950's police car.

[iflyforpie]

That's why we call them 'rotten' beacons.

A friend of mine had a Tri-Pacer with one of those (probably OEM.... it was from the 50s after all). You could hear that thing grinding away over the engine noise...

Put in a replacement strobe system... we almost had to relocate the battery box to keep the C of G within limits.

[Shiny Side Up]

I have to admit that i'm still of the habit of turning off electrics that I don't feel are absolutely necessary, not saying that's a good thing, just too used to old systems and primitive generators. You know, when you turn something else on and every thing else gets dimmer.

[ahramin]

If they're like me, they probably say "thanks for your input" and walk away. RV's typically don't have a rotating beacon, I use my strobe as a visual deterrent to pedestrians walking into my aircraft before I hit the starter.

Oh they listen, they're friends of mine . It's not like I'm walking up to strangers and randomly explaining the accepted uses of aircraft light switches .

Other than holding short of the runway I don't see much of a downside to having your strobes on during the day, but how many pedestrians have you deterred with them?

This thread is starting to make me feel bad about not having my lights working on my plane . I should really go do some wiring so I'll have more switches to push.

[Colonel Sanders]

feel bad about not having my lights working on my plane

Don't feel bad. Lights during the day is optional.

Three out of the four aircraft in my hangar have no
nav lights, no beacons, no strobes, no landing lights,
no taxi lights, no cockpit lights, in fact absolutely no
lights at all. No pitot heat, no gyros. Just a 60 amp
alternator to power the comm radio and transponder!

[Heliian]

Nav lights on at all times, landing and taxi on a flasher for high vis(even during the day, whoever said they're not visible is full of it). red led beacons on to signal engine start and off at shutdown. tip strobes on during congested low level day or night(ie. fires)

Obvious rules of courtesy apply...don't blind other people, or yourself for that matter.