Did I miss the memo....

[Cowboypilot]

.....about the use of strobes on the ground. At night and during the day I am seeing more and more a/c taxiing with the strobes on. (GVs down to Cirrus). I can remember in the old day when the Pipers I was in had "anti-collision" lights which lit every thing up.
Whats Up?

 

[Stealthh21]

.....about the use of strobes on the ground. At night and during the day I am seeing more and more a/c taxiing with the strobes on. (GVs down to Cirrus). I can remember in the old day when the Pipers I was in had "anti-collision" lights which lit every thing up.
Whats Up?

We don't use memos in aviation.

 

[SCT]

Also, whats w/ some guys running the beacon with the APU running?

 

[Stealthh21]

Also, whats w/ some guys running the beacon with the APU running?

At least in the Lear 60. Its in the checklist. I don't know why anyone would have them on unless they are starting up and getting ready to taxi.

whatever.

 

[hawkerflyer]

You can tell football season is over...

 

[deafsound]

I think G1000 planes are required to have the strobes on at all times.

 

[fokkerjet]

Nav lights on anytime the aircraft is powered. Red anti-collision lights on just prior to engine start until after engines shutdown. Taxi light on during any aircraft movement. Crossing a runway, strobes and "ice" lights on at night and / or low visibility. When cleared onto the runway in preparation for take-off, taxi and strobes, then pulse when cleared for take-off during all conditions.

See and be seen.......

 

[TimsKeeper]

ok, explain to me what would require G1000 airplanes to have them on for taxi.....didn't know the manufacturer was so powerful.YOU MUST, sounds like my captain.

 

[FlyingFisherman]

If it's on the checklist...

Then you should at least must. If you don't must you should know you're not musting and therefore must at least know you should.

If you must and don't know you should then that's a completely different problem.

 

[Buckeye]

Then you should at least must. If you don't must you should know you're not musting and therefore must at least know you should

So Whose on First...?

 

[paulsalem]

I don't think Cirrus have a red rotating becon, instead they use the strobes. The Piper Warrior IIIs are the same, however there is a placard that states strobes are not to be used in IMC and when operating near the ground, however no one follows that.

 

[HawkerF/O]

Nav lights on anytime the aircraft is powered. Red anti-collision lights on just prior to engine start until after engines shutdown. Taxi light on during any aircraft movement. Crossing a runway, strobes and "ice" lights on at night and / or low visibility. When cleared onto the runway in preparation for take-off, taxi and strobes, then pulse when cleared for take-off during all conditions.

See and be seen.......

Well said. Also, sometimes the Beacon is on when one thinks the APU is on, but the APU might be down, and the #2 has been lit off to provide the power that the APU normally would.

I saw that a lot on DA50s when I used to pump fuel. The APU is mostly an American option, so some 50s would not be so equipped and the #2 was used as the APU.

As a general rule, if I see a rotating beacon on, I assume it is NOT a mistake, and until I get confirmation otherwise, I'll not walk directly behind the aircraft.

 

[Flying Illini]

I've seen a lot of this recently (it seems). I think some of it is that the newer aircraft (cirrus, Diamond) don't have rotating beacons and those airplanes are becoming popular. The rest is just stupidity. Two days ago, holding short of rwy 1 at MKC (on the Exec. Beechcraft side), directly across from us, holding short for the same runway was a TBM700. Didn't have his stobes on but he had his landing lights/taxi lights all fired up. He was there before us and they were on before we got there. We sat there staring into his lights for 5 minutes as 4 aircraft landed before he was cleared to depart. Doesn't make sense to me. The lights on the ground thing seems pretty simple...if you screw that up continuously (I realize that it could be a one time accident), what else do you screw up.

 

[znobrdr1]

AC 120-74 (121, 125, 135)
AC 91-73 (91)

Probably some misinterpretation and or misunderstanding.

I was opposite side of RW 24 for departure head to head with a Citation the other night at Teterboro. Face first into his taxi light. Do you think the guy would turn it off? I even did the 1/2 second flick of my taxi light as a gentle reminder. Didn't help!

 

[Flying Illini]

haha, he probably wondered why you flashed him! Probably called you a jerk for doing it too!

 

[JediNein]

Cirrus and certain glass cockpit-equipped aircraft do not have rotating beacons. The strobes are the anti-collision lights.

As the sun sets, or it gets dark, I shut off the strobes and leave the nav lights on. The strobes are quite powerful and blind me sitting in the thing. I'll even shut off the strobes on short final at night just so I can see to land.

No memos. Just checklists.

Fly SAFE!
Jedi Nein

 

[hotwing]

I think G1000 planes are required to have the strobes on at all times.

not correct -- Cessna has the strobes wired on a seperate switch. Most FOM(s) in professional settings (airline, large corp operators) state that the taxi light should be on for a/c movement and off when the a/c is stopped. Strobes should only be on when the a/c is in flight or holding on an active runway, not taxi... Professional standards should prevail here... Nav lights should be on when power is applied to the a/c - apu is running or ground power is applied.

For some reason, I believe that Cirrus has their anti col. lighting (wing tip strobes) tied to their beacon -- come to think of it, I am not sure that there is a beacon on the tail... That may be the reason behind this...

All lights should be on when in position and holding or on a runway...

 

[paulsalem]

I'm 99% sure that cirrus do not have strobes and 100% sure about the piper warrior IIIs.

The warriors don’t' have a nav on the tail either. Just 2 white lights behind each wing nav. I guess that saves from running electrical wire to the tail. The cirrus may be the same way.

My question is why have the NAVs on when there is a GPU connected? I can see why having them on when the apu is on, so someone doesn’t walk behind the tail) and the beacon on when an engine is running (so I don’t get blown over when I taxi behind someone in my C-172).

Thanks

 

[hotwing]

Power connected to the a/c - navs on... all airlines do it and most corp operators... In the fom... It has nothing to do with walking behind the tail... most apu exhaust from different places - not all out of the tail to the rear - some perpendiculr to the tail and up at a 45 degree angle... some out of the rear...



for the record -- Cirrus does equip their planes with strobes - i think it is required after a certain year...

 

[MauleSkinner]

My question is why have the NAVs on when there is a GPU connected?

If you're not actually sitting in the airplane, you can tell by the brightness of the nav lights whether the GPU is providing proper power or you're discharging your batteries.

Don't know if that's the "official" reason, but it's what I was taught, and why I do it.

Fly safe!

David