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?