Originally Posted by
cavortingcheetah
Would that have been before the days when you had to click your microphone button, in the air, to turn on the runway lights at FALA?
Don't know when those days were, when I last flew out of FALA they had 24hr ATC and hence lighting 'when needed'. FALA and FAJS were the only two in the whole country with 24hr ATC. On a clear night, if they had Aldis Lamps they could probably have communicated with each other in morse! On that trip we were inbound to FAWB where, if I remember correctly, the municipality in their wisdom left the lights on all night after the ATC went home at 6pm.
I did get into FALA very late one night to their '24hr ATC' where I had been handed over by Jo'burg to FALA. First call, no answer. Another call, no answer. Third call, no answer, Called 'joining right base', no answer. Called on right base, no answer. Called turning final, no answer. Called on final, no answer. Called on short final, no answer. Sod it, land anyway. Turning off the runway a very dopey voice came on the radio "That aircraft vacating the runway, what is you registration?"... Answer given, and
as it obviously matched the one on the IFR flight plan that he had, the ATC movements log was satisfied and night-time life
. at
.. FALA
... settled
.... back
..... to
...... normal.