Taxi Lights for Daytime Taxi

[LegacyDriver]

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. Next thing you'll hear is that they don't jump all over the brakes when the mains touch!

I hear you on the radar thing. Flown with plenty who don't know the radar is gyro stabilized (in Standby), so when it wasn't being used, "OFF" which always equaled a CLUNK! We'd be taxing in and they'd wonder what all the loose avionics equipment is up front clanking around everytime we made a turn.

I don't run the radar unless I need it. If I'm not using it then it's on STDBY. I get enough radiation as it is so I figure every bit I don't get exposed to has to help over a career. (Kinda' like soaking pizza grease up with a napkin before eating it--I see people do it and think, "Maybe it is worth the effort when you consider eating greasy pizza over a 50 year period.")

Not worried about wearing it out as much as I am getting some kind of exotic radar/cosmic radiation/bad diet-induced cancer.

LOL

 

[hydroflyer]

What do you guys think about turning off taxi lights at night when holding short? Some guys say it helps landing traffic see the runway because they're not staring at your bright lights, other guys say leave them on so the landing traffic can better see you. I can see the point about being seen but I can also see the point used in the AC of not adversely affecting the vision of other pilots.

At the very least they should be turned off when there is another airplane holding short across the runway. I have seen pilots at multiple airports insist on keeping their taxi lights on while holding short at night despite facing the cockpit of another plane sitting across the runway.

 

[can99]

remember there are aircraft specifics here, on a lear 45 for instance if you have the nav lights on during the day it dims the gear lights just like in a piper arrow ! so cant use them, but you do use them on a gpu/apu situation on the ground as the logo lights turns off when the aircraft is running on battery power ie the gpu/apu goes offline and you are outside the aircraft.

but for taxi sop is taxi lights and recog on, cleared for taxi off and land, landing lights on , and on approach, when cleared for the approach turn the taxi lights on to remember you are cleared.

 

[LegacyDriver]

At the very least they should be turned off when there is another airplane holding short across the runway. I have seen pilots at multiple airports insist on keeping their taxi lights on while holding short at night despite facing the cockpit of another plane sitting across the runway.

I love it when the plane across from you at the hold short turns on their lights at night when cleared into position before making the turn onto the runway. Zing! Night adaptation? What's that?

 

[GSXR600]

Aircraft in movement TX light ON then OFF stationery.

Crossing Rwys All lights go ON

Clear into P & H.. TX light ON and I/C light ON (No strobes here yet) I hate people doing this specially at night!

Clear for T/O All lights go ON

Depending on the Sector FL180 or 10K Pulse lights go ON

Clear to land all lights go ON

Cleared off Rwy TX light ON

 

[Kingairrick]

Aircraft in movement TX light ON then OFF stationery.

Crossing Rwys All lights go ON

Clear into P & H.. TX light ON and I/C light ON (No strobes here yet) I hate people doing this specially at night!

Clear for T/O All lights go ON

Depending on the Sector FL180 or 10K Pulse lights go ON

Clear to land all lights go ON

Cleared off Rwy TX light ON

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..

 

[caseyd]

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..

You have a point here. But while all those lights mean something specific to you, when I get a crossing clearance downfield your lights just confuse the shattner out of me. I don't know if you're coming or going. How about taking the P&H clearance but put yourself offset both the centerline position and angle. Then throw on those logo and wing inspection lights. In the daytime being someplace other than in a white plane on a white centerline should make you a bit more recognizable and the same position at night with the aforementioned lights might do the same trick. The with a takeoff clearance illuminate the forward looking lights and strobes.

 

[Kingairrick]

You have a point here. But while all those lights mean something specific to you, when I get a crossing clearance downfield your lights just confuse the shattner out of me. I don't know if you're coming or going. How about taking the P&H clearance but put yourself offset both the centerline position and angle. Then throw on those logo and wing inspection lights. In the daytime being someplace other than in a white plane on a white centerline should make you a bit more recognizable and the same position at night with the aforementioned lights might do the same trick. The with a takeoff clearance illuminate the forward looking lights and strobes.

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)

 

[LegacyDriver]

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)

I flew with a Viper driver who told me about a guy plowing through a T-38 because he didn't see him due to the "centerline stripe camo pattern." Having heard that tale of woe I make a point to offset a little bit anytime I'm on a runway for an extended period of time, be it position, back taxi, or a long rollout.

 

[BoilerUP]

I flew with a Viper driver who told me about a guy plowing through a T-38 because he didn't see him due to the "centerline stripe camo pattern."

T-38s are white?

 

[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.