Taxi Lights for Daytime Taxi

[caseyd]

I'm not sure why it's confusing to you. It's most likely exactly what your SOP is in your 76. Do you offset the centerline when in position?

The danger is getting hit from behind by a landing aircraft. It's happened twice that I can think of off the top of my head. (EMB @ LAX and King Air IN ATL)

Actually what I meant to imply is ANY forward looking lights have the potential to confuse a down field crosser (strobes in position certainly serve to bother those awaiting their turn). The offset idea really does make one more visible (and yes I do it in the 767 and smaller airplanes). Frankly, sometimes I neglect to illuminate forward looking lights when cleared for takeoff but I usually remember and if the industry practice was to leave them off until said clearance was received then I think downfield crossers who are trying to decipher signage, interpret instructions, contact the limo company or fbo, monitor the other guy AND watch for fellow aviators barreling down on them at 140K would be less distracted if the guy "holding" looked less like a guy "taking off".

 

[LegacyDriver]

T-38s are white?

About 10 years ago they were... The gray ones were supposedly special but I don't know why. Maybe they are all gray now I dunno.

http://www.airliners.net/photo/USA-...52164/L/&sid=279ea171b7a52b140b0f4af32daa240a

Also most places I've worked held landing lights off until cleared for takeoff.

In the EMB it was taxi and nose landing light in position, wing root landing lights on when cleared to roll. Fairly common practice in the airline and charter side of the world, maybe not so much in 91.

 

[GSXR600]

P&H strobes (and everything but the land lights) should be on. Many have been killed by getting hit from behind by landing traffic that didn't see them..

True that. but on anything there is always the chance. Having said this, I will call it....... final is clear (a/c on a 90 degree angle from the runway) look and listen before P&H. Night time is really irritating to have someone go onto the rwy and turn the strobes lights without been cleared for T/O then just seat there blinding everyone on the field. Then again if your SOP tells you to do it, you have no choice. I'll just pull out my Oakley s when I am behind you.

 

[Kingairrick]

Well, if you read the AC I posted above, it says to leave off the strobes if there is another aircraft that will be affected by them(I read to be holding short behind you.) Assuming there isn't, the guidance is to make your aircraft as conspicuous as possible, without signaling the intent to begin the takeoff roll (landing lights) to aircraft crossing downfield.

 

[ableone]

I have been flying for major airlines since 1981 and smaller ones before that and have never heard of this. Our SOP's have us turn on the taxi flights for night surface illumination as required and when cleared for takeoff. The nav lights and red strobes top and bottom make us easy to see day or night.

As has already been posted the FAA has an AC out recommending taxi lgts for movement.

It is, however, an ICAO requirement and will be coming to AWE/LCC soon. Along with the "line up and wait" phraseology the FAA is going to try and align domestic ops with ICAO practices.

 

[staledog]

Yep. Always. The BS about "wearing it out too soon", how ghey. Old school old timer. Aviation is so standardized (beacon with engines fired up, Nav with APU/GPU, etc), you'd think people would want to let others know.

Since when is it standard to have the nav lights on with a GPU or APU? I haven't even heard of it until this thread. I mean really, what's the point? Who are you trying to alert with the nav lights that your APU is running? Anyone close enough to the airplane to care will hear the thing and/or see the heat stream anyway. And there are plenty of other planes out there with the nav lights pointlessly on in the daytime without an APU running that I wouldn't ever think.."hmmm, nav lights on, his APU must be running!" Nav lights on during the daytime is ghey. It's not like it really makes you any more visible.

 

[LegacyDriver]

Every operator I've ever been with (except one) always had the Nav Lights in the ON position at all times. As soon as the batts come on the outside world knows.

It can save you from walking away from a powered airplane by accident.

Fairly standard but by no means universal procedure.

 

[BoilerUP]

NAV lights ON anytime the airplane is powered.

As LD said, its pretty standard...most every domestic US airline does this along with the vast majority of bizav operators on any given FBO ramp.

 

[NCherches]

I like Nav Lights... Makes the plane look 'alive' lol

 

[2000Easyguy]

I like Nav Lights... Makes the plane look 'alive' lol

Overture, curtains, lights,
This is it, the night of nights............

 

[atpcliff]

Hi!

Every airline and every pilot I know has Nav lights on with power (usually NEVER turn the Nav lights switch off), and beacon with engines. EXCEPT for a few "SAVE THE LIGHTS" captains, in a non-standardized organization.

cliff
NBO

 

[LJ45]

Nav lights also means the brakes could be on, hence don't try to tow me.

 

[staledog]

Every operator I've ever been with (except one) always had the Nav Lights in the ON position at all times. As soon as the batts come on the outside world knows.

It can save you from walking away from a powered airplane by accident.

Fairly standard but by no means universal procedure.

well now that I think about it I guess that does make sense. I have seen people leave the battery on and run it dead before, having the navs on probably would have prevented that. Although like somebody else said, in the Lears I used to fly, having the navs on in the dayime really dimmed some of the panel lights to where you couldn't even see if you had 3 green for the landing gear. Guess that's why they never had us turn on the navs unless it was night.

Rodger that

 

[ksu_aviator]

My personal opinion on light usage...

Sitting on the ramp with just a GPU...Nav Lights only
After Start, Beacon, Taxi and Recogs on...Nav Lights off

and reverse that after landing.

Reason is the Metro has a very small profile, so I want everyone annoyed so they can see me, but with the nav lights on, it is hard to see the NWS light and if it starts flashing, you need to know. So, during the day, the nav lights are off for all operations, except prior to start up and after shut down.

I'm with the above of leaving the navs on as a battery on/off indicator.

 

[hyflyin]

I always wondered about that.

:beer:

I had a guy come tell me the Beacon was on with the APU running. Yes it is, I said. I wish I could turn the Nav lights on on the Learjet 45 in the daytime, but when we do that the switch indicators all dim and you can tell if a switch is on or off. I have complained to Learjet many times about this stupid situation, but factory checklist procedure for the Learjet 45 is beacon on when APU running. Now at night we can use the Navs with no problems and turn the beacon on at engine start. So, before you go tell someone something know the limitations of their aircraft.

here we go

 

[NCherches]

My personal opinion on light usage...

After Start, Beacon, Taxi and Recogs on...Nav Lights off

Im gonna have to say this is not cool... The beacon should come on just before starting the engines as an indicator to those on the ramp that you are about to start...

Taxi / Recogs should only be used for moving aircraft in my opinion...

 

[ksu_aviator]

Im gonna have to say this is not cool... The beacon should come on just before starting the engines as an indicator to those on the ramp that you are about to start...

Taxi / Recogs should only be used for moving aircraft in my opinion...

Ok...I was lazy...Yes, the beacon comes on before start...I was just too lazy to put it on its own line.

 

[NCherches]

...I figured