Taxi Lights

[Flyman35]

I saw many airlines turning taxi lights off if they were instructed to hold position then when they turn it on just before they move again ,is there any reference for that in JAR,because I see it a lot in German airports.

[500 above]

It's just old fashioned airmanship. It stops glare for other facing aircraft, but also let's other aircraft/controllers know you are complying with the instructions. I'm not aware of any reference to it. Some do, some don't.

[BOAC]

Pilots simply need to remember they are 'Taxi Lights' and not 'Parking Lights'.

[Intruder]

FAA AC 120-74A, Appendix 2, 24 Sep 2003:
Recommended Practices and Techniques
. . .
3. To signal intent to other pilots, consider turning on the taxi light when the aircraft is moving or intending to move on the ground, and turning it off when stopped, yielding, or as a consideration to other pilots or ground personnel.
NOT regulatory, but recommended.

[NG_Kaptain]

At night when holding short I like to turn off taxi lights, wing lights and turn off lights, thats to be courteous and avoid blinding landing traffic.

[jimmyg]

Agreed; good old fashioned airmanship and courtesy seem to be a lost art these days.

Folks running around with every possible exterior light on. I find taxi with wing lights on most annoying as they have a tendency to shine right in my face at a 90 degree angle to them. (This seem to be a SOP with most Turkish aircraft)

Of course those will say see and be seen, but in fact the best light to be seen, is your tail/logo lights.

Always thought this was a good cockpit story; the story goes that back in the 60's Hugh Hefner used a DeVore developed Tel-Tail vertical tail floodlight that was aimed at the tail of the all black Playboy DC-9 in order to illuminate the Playboy Bunny. Since then manufactures and companies have widely used the tail light to advertise their wares.

During the days of stalled contract negotiations we used to turn the logo light off as a show of solidarity.

[de facto]

More and more airlines/pilots have the wing light at night and when parked.
Some even idiots taxi with landing lights and dont think about switching them OFF when approaching or facing another aircraft until my landing lights start flashing ...

Think of the other...wing light while parked and at night is poor practice and not nice to those parking next to you.
For your walk around use a FLASH LIGHT for crying out loud..

When i hold short or stop taxi i do switch off the taxi light night or day.

[Sciolistes]

De facto,

I have noticed that wing light thing too :rolleyes:
Some even idiots taxi with landing lights and dont think about switching them OFF when approaching or facing another aircraft until my landing lights start flashing ...
I got pulled up on a line check recently for switching off the landing lights and turning on the taxi light just as we were turning off the runway for being out of sequence with the after landing procedure.

[no-hoper]

Rated life time of most taxi lights is 25 hrs...

[beetlebomb]

Taxi lights are like the strobes - it signals what you're going to do. I turn them off when stopped at the holding point or stopped at an intersection when instructed and its going to be a long wait, and of course when facing another aircraft.

Since I'm real real new here I don't wanna upset John the Tulla by naming which airlines around here leave their damn lights on and blow the other guy's eyeballs into oblivion.

[BOAC]

Some even idiots taxi with landing lights and dont think about switching them OFF when approaching or facing another aircraft until my landing lights start flashing ... - indeed, in the days when Deutsche BA flew at LGW I often had to ask them to 'dip their headlights' stopped at A2 when I was waiting at A3.:ugh:

[grounded27]

Like said above they are Taxi lights. Turn them on to show intent to move under your own power, there are other good reasons for it but even on a ramp or taxilane, people operating vehicles will understand to hold position as you have intent to move Thank you also for shutting them off on block in.