Question for someone who knows - Lights

[CoyoteLoco]

I have some questions about proper lights techniques. Each time I look up lighting in POH's or FCOM's everything about lighting is either 'as needed' or 'as required'.

1) Common landing light usage, I believe, is on at the runway prior to entry and up until 10,000 feet and off upon exiting the runway after landing. What about cruising at 10k. On or off?

2) Taxi lights. When taxiing during daylight hours should they be on?

3) Strobe lights. On during taxi or when reaching and before entry on to the runway and after exiting the runway?

A question not associated with lighting but needing clarification on is Transition Level vs.Transition Altitude. I know for my typical U.S. flying it's a non-issue for the A2A C182, PA-24, and V35 I own and fly but sometimes I will fly them in Australia and Europe. Does TL or TA take precedence when, say, a Transition Level is FL110 but Transition Altitude is 10,000.

I also fly PMDG aircraft and all these questions will help me with those also.

Thank you for any information you may have to help me in these areas.

Dana Wiles

[AKar]

1) In GAs, majority of the time is usually spent under 10'000 ft. There is usually no need to keep the landing light on for entire flights, however, often-heard advice is to have the landing light on whenever enhanced visibility of the aircraft is deemed beneficial. So, 'as needed' is quite a good answer to that one! Classically one may have to consider the service life of the lights, nowadays LED lights are becoming more common and the service life may not be such a consideration. Regarding the use on ground, one practice is to turn on the landing lights when the takeoff clearance is received. Usually the landing lights should come off when exiting the runway, though not quite all aircraft have separate landing and taxi lights.

2) My opinion is yes, the taxi light should be on whenever the aircraft is moving or about to move imminently. The reason is that it signals your intentions to those around you. The usual exception is whenever taxiing towards nearby personnel on apron at night to avoid blinding anyone. In the big plane world, the taxi light should always come off when turning towards the stand.

3) Usually on before entering a runway (even if to cross), and off after exiting. If the aircraft has separate beacons and strobes (again, not quite all do), then the (high intensity) strobes should most often remain off when taxiing. Again, consider also that the strobes signal your intentions to enter the runway.

Regarding the transition level and altitude, see here for instance. The main takeaway is that if your transition altitude is, say, 18'000 ft, and the atmospheric pressure is lower than standard, then when you reset your altimeter to indicate QNE, your altimeter reading increases. Thus, the lowest available flight level, the transition level, becomes something higher than FL180 in this example.

-Esa

[CoyoteLoco]

Thank you for the reply Esa.

I try not to fly my GA aircraft above 10k very often, but I do fly my GA's mainly on the West Coast of the US (currently flying PAKT to PAYA @ 6,000) and find quite often I must fly high for terrain clearance. I had heard in my early years of flying that it was "common practice" that landing lights on below and off above 10,000. However, common practice doesn't mean required and knew there had to be some general personal preference there somewhere. Light longevity makes sense now that you mentioned it. I will adjust my landing light usage practice using your input on the matter. Thank you.

Turning the taxi light on anytime I planned to move my aircraft has been my common practice. Thank you for the confirmation. I do turn taxi lights off when around people or other aircraft on the apron and anytime the apron is lighted as I no longer need them to see in front of me.

Knowing how bright the beacon lights are I know they can be blinding to others. My practice of using them has always been the way you described. My practice actually is landing lights on = beacon lights on and vice versa except when airborne.

TA vs. TL. I read the information on the link you provided and I understand now. It was very informative. Thank you again.

Even though I checked/cleared my static air inlets during preflight inspection and it was working properly during takeoff my HSI is not functioning properly. Looked for alternate static air in the V35 and can't find it. I don't remember reading about one in the manual. Flying on to PAYA and will do a visual instead of ILS if the weather is clear. How I love AccuSim aircraft. One just never knows what might "pop up".

Thanks again,
Dana

[Orlaam]

For the typical flying purposes, this is how I find most operators use lights:

1. Position or Nav lights on with battery/power, at all times. Those are your green and red wing lights.

2. Beacon or anti-collision lights on with engine start and on continuously with engines running. Those are your red flashing lights on the bottom, and sometimes top, of the fuselage. Of note, when over the ocean, some operators turn the beacon/anti-collision lights off at night for passengers, as they tend to reflect quite a bit off the wings.

3. Strobes on when entering the runway and during flight, although you can turn them off in clouds or low visibility where they can be reflective and a bit blinding.

4. Taxi light when moving around the tarmac, but off when stopped or pointed at someone on the ground near a gate or parking.

5. Landing lights, on when entering the runway until reaching 10,000 feet in the US, then off above 10,000, back on below 10,000. I have seen some non-US operators turn them off way below 10,000 however.

6. Wing lights. These are typically turned on until 10,000 feet in the US with part 121 or other large jets/commuters, day and night. They increase visibility, even though they are designed mainly to look for icing. Some European operators do not use wing lights in large passenger planes because they can be bright for passengers. The US just has a lot more air traffic, so I think it's more for safety here.

7. Logo lights. They are also almost always turned on at night for visibility and off around 10,000.

8. You mentioned the PMDG. On the 737, they have a wheel well light. That is only used for inspection of the wheels and parts inside the well. They do nothing for operation of the aircraft. They also have runway turn-off lights. Those would be used for taxi and usually on with landing lights.

For GA purposes, you can do whatever you want with landing lights. Some pilots leave them on below 10,000 to be safe, even if they're kinda out in the middle of nowhere. Others might nor put them on until they're actually approaching the airfield.

I found this link, mainly geared towards GA, but partially applicable to commercial in terms of FAS regs: https://airplaneacademy.com/when-to-use ... trobe-etc/ It seems their are rules about some lights, but for the most part they are operator specific. I just know from so much observing over the years that what I wrote seems to be the norm, at least in the US.

[CoyoteLoco]

Chris,

Thank you for the lighting techniques and the link. I've been an 'armchair pilot' for a couple of decades though could never quite afford to pursue a PPL. I would like to now however vertigo has been diagnosed and I doubt an FAA doctor would clear me. Not sure. I don't believe the vertigo would affect me unless I turn my head too quickly. Since all I've ever done is flight simulators my IFR skills and trust in my instruments would offset any real possibility of vertigo causing spacial disorientation, in my opinion.

I found your input very insightful and the article very informative to help me understand lighting practices and requirements. Though simulated, I've always practiced courtesy to others with regard to using lights, especially high intensity lighting systems. I was unaware of being able to judge for myself when navigational lighting was necessary. I didn't have a clue they could be shut off during daylight hours nor that beacons and strobes could be turned off in clouds. That was surprising. The information about Alaska is also very interesting.

I do thank you again for taking the time to reply and for finding that link.

Dana

[AKar]

Knowing how bright the beacon lights are I know they can be blinding to others. My practice of using them has always been the way you described. My practice actually is landing lights on = beacon lights on and vice versa except when airborne.

You probably meant strobes here! Just to be sure, beacons indeed should be on prior to starting the engine(s) and usually then all the way to shut down.

I mentioned earlier the signaling function of the aircraft lights. This is something that is not so obvious in flight simulator environment, but in real life you convey your intentions with lights in a way that should be immediately obvious to the people working around the aircraft. Beacon comes on - you'd immediately know from the context that the aircraft is about to be pushed back or to start the engines, or perhaps about to run its hydraulics to reposition the flight controls. The beacon kind of translates into "not safe to approach". Taxi light comes on - the aircraft is about to roll. A taxiing aircraft stops and shuts down the taxi light - this clearly signals that you are about to hold your position. Strobes coming on conveys your intention to enter the runway, so strongly that if you hit the strobes while holding short, the ATC would probably ask you to confirm you are indeed holding short. And so on.

Even though I checked/cleared my static air inlets during preflight inspection and it was working properly during takeoff my HSI is not functioning properly. Looked for alternate static air in the V35 and can't find it. I don't remember reading about one in the manual. Flying on to PAYA and will do a visual instead of ILS if the weather is clear. How I love AccuSim aircraft. One just never knows what might "pop up".

Static air should have nothing to do with the HSI. The HSI in Bonanza is powered by aircraft's electrical system. It likely has a breaker somewhere that might have tripped causing it to stop functioning. Blocked static ports affect airspeed indicator, altimeter and vertical speed indicator.

5. Landing lights, on when entering the runway until reaching 10,000 feet in the US, then off above 10,000, back on below 10,000. I have seen some non-US operators turn them off way below 10,000 however.

In some aircraft with retractable landing lights, they can be rather noisy in the cabin near them (and add some drag as well). It is rather common at least here in Europe to be approved for high speed during departure or arrival. This means exceeding the regular 250 knot speed limit under 10'000 ft, which aggravates these effects.

-Esa

[lonewulf47]

I fully agree to Chris' suggestions with one exception: our company rule was to use Landing Lights on the RWY only when cleared for take-off. IMHO this rule is not so terribly useless, as I personally always had a strange feeling when cleared to cross a RWY where another A/C was lined up with it's christmas tree in full blossom....

[AKar]

I fully agree to Chris' suggestions with one exception: our company rule was to use Landing Lights on the RWY only when cleared for take-off. IMHO this rule is not so terribly useless, as I personally always had a strange feeling when cleared to cross a RWY where another A/C was lined up with it's christmas tree in full blossom....

Haha, I think I've heard at least like four variations of using landing lights upon entering the runway and receiving the takeoff clearance! One was, I think from a pilot of 737, that the fixed landing lights can be on when entering the runway and the retractables come down and on when the clearance is received (i.e. slap the bar). One crew flying business jets had a practice of having the landing lights on steady when entering the runway and turning on the pulse feature when receiving the takeoff clearance, the one that alternates the bright side on the lights, supposedly to get the attention of birds as well. Who am I to doubt whether it would work on birds! An Airbus pilot told me that he usually turned off and retracted the landing lights at 10'000 ft or when exceeding 250 knots if below. I don't know if this was his company's recommendation or his own thinking - I guess the company in question allowed the latter, in moderation. There are probably many more that I just don't recollect.

-Esa

[CoyoteLoco]

Esa,

I did mean strobes. Not sure why I said beacon. I know the difference and they are nothing alike.

I do use beacons, strobes, taxi, and landing lights as you've stated their use should be, however, turning taxi lights off after stopping is a new practice I will be incorporating.

I don't know why I thought it would be static air affecting my HSI. Just thinking of troubleshooting at the time, I guess. Upon landing and inspecting the aircraft I found my HSI died and needed repaired. As you stated it had nothing to do with a static air blockage.

You and Chris have been extremely helpful in my learning about proper and respectful lighting usage.

Thank you both.

Dana

[lonewulf47]

...however, turning taxi lights off after stopping is a new practice I will be incorporating.

Taxi Lights should always be turned of when taxiing towards people on a parking stand. While in General Aviation a taxi light's power output is similar to a normal car, commercial airliners have quite some higher light output. You will however automatically switch them off, when you notice Ground Crew wildly waving arms at you... especially also during nighttime...

[AKar]

I don't know why I thought it would be static air affecting my HSI. Just thinking of troubleshooting at the time, I guess. Upon landing and inspecting the aircraft I found my HSI died and needed repaired. As you stated it had nothing to do with a static air blockage.

This is where the proper fun begins! Troubleshooting is one of the most difficult things there is. Not only you need to understand how the system was thought to work, but you also need to understand how it perhaps was not thought to fail!

(In engineering, we nowadays, in optimal situations at least, actually design how the systems are to fail. This is not to make them fail, but to make their eventual failure perhaps predictable. A GA fleet built on standards of WWII leftover in what comes to the components may not be quite up there in the thinking. Both in good and bad ways.)

Troubleshooting is a skill that is optimally based on understanding. In reality, as well within the sim world, we often lack in this at hand. Thus, the next best option is knowledge. This includes what is available to us in forms of procedures and manuals. Perhaps the beloved QRHs. The next one down the line is an old school muscle memory. None of the previous are exclusive of one above, but the ones higher are harder to gain and the ones below are the hardest to get rid of! The best of training almost always kind of forces this natural and linear mentality into circular one.

Encountering a problem in reality, most often your brain has bigger issues than understanding or logic. It wants to move your limbs in a way to save your energy and concentrate your focus into immediate threat. Hence, it goes to the muscle memory. This is why the most current airliners are engineered to ping you into the correct action or at least to have a procedure for you to bring a proper QRM page up.

A simulator is the perfect environment to get things wrong and even having fun doing so. Do your best and see what happens. But don't cheat, pause especially - the biggest of all cheats in what comes to flight sims! No matter whether you lived or died your virtual encounter, look up, or ask up, what did you get the way you thought was right and what you did not. In the sim, you can die a million times for whatever trivial real-life issue - a luxury that was not there that long ago and unfortunately still not fully utilized. The muscle memory can be trained, but repeating a non-standard checklist or any other mean requiring interpretation is not a good way.

Welcome onboard from my part and have a great Christmas, Dana!

-Esa

[CoyoteLoco]

Oskar,

Thanks for the reply. I am very conscious about taxi light usage in areas people may be around; aprons, gates, etc. Usually I use GSX and have a handler at the gate and turn off taxi lights before lining up towards him/her as well making sure the weather radar is off when flying my airliners. I just never thought of turning the taxi light off once I stop for whatever reason during my taxi.

Thanks again,
Dana

[CoyoteLoco]

Esa,

Again, I have no idea why my mind gravitated towards static air being the issue. I am fairly knowledgeable about mechanics and engineering and how systems work. Could even be the bottle of beer I was enjoying

I too am very against using any 'cheats'. The only time I will pause my flights is if I have to step out of the cockpit for an extended period of time. I don't like doing it then either as I fly at real times and with real weather and it can take a lot of adjustment to my configuration when resetting the time after a pause.

At the time I assessed whether I should return to my departure airport or continue on. I decided I had to land at either location with a malfunctioning HSI so I continued on to my destination. I landed just fine by the way.

I can't fly any aircraft that doesn't have random/age usage failures. Parts can fail on real aircraft and I don't the sim for simplicity. I rarely set 'known' failures except to practice engine failure on takeoff, usually in my large aircraft.

I recently purchased the KA350i due to reading discussions on its quality here in the the A2A forums. I couldn't find a profile for my Honeycomb Alpha and Bravo controls for it so I will have a lot of programming to do before I can fly it. I will have to find the LVars for it. I just have to be in the mood to program and not fly and that is a pretty rare event.

I do appreciate all the information you have offered me and I have been incorporating this knowledge into my flying experience.

I do have one more question. I has to do with MSA's. Are these hard limits? I ask because sometimes I will fly through a 25nm quadrant which, say, has a 10,300 MSA but I am 20nm from the high mountains in that quadrant. Do I still have to climb to the 10,300 minimum altitude? Currently I don't unless I am on a course which takes me towards the higher elevations of the quadrant.

Thanks for all the great information.
Dana

[AKar]

The pros on such stuff can perhaps provide some further insight, but the MSA sectors are not any kind of limits but are there for emergency use.

As it is with the troubleshooting, when things go south for real, our brain, when surprised, dumps a lot of knowledge into a bin of not immediately usable. Had you lost, say, your primary means of navigation due to a failure that will keep you busy for a moment by its own means and thus you end up doing a go-around in the soup as well, or something along those lines, in principle, if you just checked your MSA on the chart and can figure out your position relative to the navaid that it is defined from, you can at least figure out a sector to fly into and an altitude required to keep you clear of any immediately hazardous terrain. This is perhaps not that much of an issue with functioning map displays and TAWS, but if flying just by the needles, such info can become extremely handy, I'd figure!

Note that the MSA cannot, by definition, be a hard limit, as any approach procedure will fly you below the MSA, and very often potentially in the soup.

-Esa

[CoyoteLoco]

Esa,

What you explained about MSA's is exactly what I thought but just needed some clarification. I knew having to land at an airport within an MSA required going below that level but wasn't exactly sure about enroute travel. I did spend the extra $18,000 for a GTN 750 (simulated) so I do have TAWS. However, as your scenario implies, equipment can fail including the GTN.

I fly quite often in mountainous areas, and I don't shy away from being in the soup. I will usually fly my A2A aircraft under VFR unless IFR is required for my departure or arrival airport. Fairly often I will have to leave my filed plan to follow valleys as the mountains are too high for me to comfortably fly, especially in Colorado. I fly pretty often from California to Colorado, Wyoming, Montana. About 80 to 85% of my flights are designed to test my flying and navigation skills which includes inclement weather (when real weather offers it).

I appreciate your input and advice about my question.

Dana