Taxi light on during day ops... good or bad?

[DrewBlows]

It seems to be SOP at most companies....that doesn't make it any less annoying though.

LOL! This pretty much proves that lights-on are more noticeable than lights-off.

General Motors has been using day time running lights as standard equipment on all of their cars for years. They seem to think that light-on is a good thing.

 

[J32driver]

Any 737 operators tell you guys to be sure and NOT use the taxi-light for take-off and landing? Unlike the DC-9/MD's, the 737 taxi light is installed BELOW the strut, thus getting more of a beating. The filament, when hot, is more likely to break with sudden motion than when it's cold, thus..leave it OFF for take-off and landing.

Just curious if you've heard the same.

Thats the opposite of everything I've ever heard about a light. When the filament is hot, its flexible and can move more without breaking. When the light is off, the filament is cold and brittle.

Crash investigators look for this to tell if a light was on or off at time of impact. If it was on, the filament might be intact. If it was off, the filament will probably be broken.

 

[Spooky 2]

The FAA and ICAO SARPs are more worried about runway incursions... see FAA AC 120-74A. There are many other documents available online and through ICAO... It is more important to turn on landing lights when cleared for take off than it is to turn on taxi lights when taxiing in my opinion.

That pretty much sums it all up. Go with the guidence and forget all the other tribal BS that is out there.

 

[AC560]

Just flick the strobes on.

 

[glasspilot1]

I agree, although in the mighty beech, I always figure that I'm giving way since we're the smallest ones out there.

That's the way I feel when a 747 just lands at ORD and is headed tword the same intersection as me. Even if I have the right of way, I'm going to lose the "argument"!

Happened to me last week in LAX. I was southbound on "S". China 747 eastbound on "B". Ground says "Continue American, China will give way to you". "China, give way to the American MD-80, follow him". No response.

I continued with my taxi light on but watched carefully. When I was sure he wasn't giving way I turned off the light and stopped. He went by and I followed him. Now ground is confused and then scolds him. Oh, well!

 

[skiandsurf]

I continued with my taxi light on but watched carefully. When I was sure he wasn't giving way I turned off the light and stopped. He went by and I followed him. Now ground is confused and then scolds him. Oh, well!

And you "communicated" to the other pilot thru your taxi light. This answers the question of the light on vs light off.

 

[HalinTexas]

Any 737 operators tell you guys to be sure and NOT use the taxi-light for take-off and landing? Unlike the DC-9/MD's, the 737 taxi light is installed BELOW the strut, thus getting more of a beating. The filament, when hot, is more likely to break with sudden motion than when it's cold, thus..leave it OFF for take-off and landing.

Just curious if you've heard the same.

If I ever heard that from my company I would laugh in their face. If replacing taxi lights is going to put my company into bankruptcy, then we don't deserve to be in business.

Nav lights on during the day seem excessive, but on our B73's you don't have much choice.

 

[skiandsurf]

Nav lights on during the day seem excessive, but on our B73's you don't have much choice.

I remember 10+ years ago jumpseating on a UAL DC10, and climbing thru 18,000 feet, the captain turned off all exterior lights. This was obviously during the daytime and on a transcon. It makes since to turn them off for a 5 hour flight. I have not seen anyone do it since then. Was it a policy at the time that got changed.....remember this was 10 yrs ago....or more.

 

[pipe]

Thats the opposite of everything I've ever heard about a light. When the filament is hot, its flexible and can move more without breaking. When the light is off, the filament is cold and brittle.

Crash investigators look for this to tell if a light was on or off at time of impact. If it was on, the filament might be intact. If it was off, the filament will probably be broken.

Not exactly. If the filament was streched or deformed in the direction of impact, it was on at impact. If the filament is intact or simply snapped, it was off.

PIPE

 

[aa73]

I remember 10+ years ago jumpseating on a UAL DC10, and climbing thru 18,000 feet, the captain turned off all exterior lights. This was obviously during the daytime and on a transcon. It makes since to turn them off for a 5 hour flight. I have not seen anyone do it since then. Was it a policy at the time that got changed.....remember this was 10 yrs ago....or more.

We do the same thing at AA... it was just adopted a few months ago. During daytime only, climbing through 18, all exterior lights off except the beacon (anticollision.) Descending through 18, everything on (except wing retractable ldg lights.) Well, actually the ground floods and wing illuminations are optional durign daytime, required at night.

 

[Alcatraz]

Any 737 operators tell you guys to be sure and NOT use the taxi-light for take-off and landing? Unlike the DC-9/MD's, the 737 taxi light is installed BELOW the strut, thus getting more of a beating. The filament, when hot, is more likely to break with sudden motion than when it's cold, thus..leave it OFF for take-off and landing.

Just curious if you've heard the same.

I would think the reason you don't use the taxi light during takeoff is because it stays on even with the wheel up in the well on the classics (and might theoretically get less cooling? or easier to forget?).

This isn't an issue on the NGs, though, which turn off automatically, but the procedure might be carried over for commonality.

 

[Palomino]

I would think the reason you don't use the taxi light during takeoff is because it stays on even with the wheel up in the well on the classics (and might theoretically get less cooling? or easier to forget?).

This isn't an issue on the NGs, though, which turn off automatically, but the procedure might be carried over for commonality.

737 taxi light is so darn weak it should be called a 'taxi mood indicator'. i guess it serves well as an indicator of aircraft motion though.

 

[007]

At $70 a pop each time they heat up and burn out, I just try and pay more attention.

Besides nobody communicates with me anyways, all I ever get is middle fingers.....