Landing Lights mandatory?

[AlphaWhiskyRomeo]

Just wondering if a pilot is required to use landing lights when landing in the dark?

A BA flight I was on this weekend has some electrical glitches before taxi, seemed to be ok for takeoff (with lights), and then landed without the main gear lights. (But they came on as we turned off the r/way). Was trying to work out if it was pilot choice, or the electrical issues had returned.

[InflightFeather]

As for the BA flight they should have had working landing lights...:bored:, how many of them should be working depends on the minimum equipment list supplied for that specific aircraft, and approved by the CAA in this case, in the US that would be approved by the FAA. :8

Bassically the reg's state that when an airplane is operated for hire, which BA obviously does, then it must have a working landing light, in order to land after dark.. :}

(but if they fail in flight, sure enough you eventually have to land anyway, lights or no lights, no biggy plenty of lights on the runway..... :hmm:)

This should answer it all.....

gr.

InflightFeather

[Gary Lager]

Just because you hav to have working landing lights, doesn't mean you have to have them switched on for landing.

From the limited info you provide, an electrical 'glitch' of the kind evident to the crew prior to taxi, would not cause this 'failure' of thelanding lights.

Sounds like the crew might have forgotten, or elected not to use them.

Sometimes I forget - although that then means the runway appears in sight a little later than I'd like, though!

Alternatively, in conditions of porr visibility, where visual acquisition of the runway lights is required to make the land/go-around decision (i.e. approaches with a non-zero DH), then landing lights are often a hinderance to visually acquiring the landing lights, due to glare reflected back from the fog/mist/snow whatever. Particularyl bad at night. Was the wx poor in this case?

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

Just love this type of question to get my aged brainbox! Having read (albeit quickly) through the ANO and the Rules of the Air I cannot find a reference to the requirement for landing lights. If someone could please provide me with the reference I'd be very grateful.

[BOAC]

Individual airlines have limits on the number of lights required/allowable.

Commonly NONE required to be serviceable by day, and at night some can be u/s provided they are fixed within certain time limits.

Again, most airlines have a 'be seen' policy which generally has some forward facing lights to be on below 10,000 feet.

AFAIK there is no 'legal' requirement for any forward facing lights to be shown. Individual SOPs vary from company to company. Similarly there is no 'legal' requirement to have 'position' (navigation) lights on on in good daylight, but you will see a significant number of airlines who do have them on.

[dusk2dawn]

Can't find a requirement to use but,
JAR–OPS 1.640 Aeroplane operating lights
An operator shall not operate an aeroplane unless it is equipped with:
<...>
(b) For flight by night, in addition to equipment specified in paragraph (a) above:
(1) Navigation/position lights; and
(2) Two landing lights or a single light having two separately energised filaments; and
(3) Lights to conform with the International regulations for preventing collisions at sea if the aeroplane is a Seaplane or an Amphibian.

[spoilers yellow]

You sure that the lights that came on when you left the runway were not the turn off lights?

[Old Smokey]

It is normal procedure to turn Landing Lights OFF in low visibility approaches, particularly Auto-Land. The glare from the lights against the Fog/Mist may make it impossible to see the Runway Lights at the minima.

During the subsequent taxy, 'lighting up' would be normal to see the close-in obstacles, and to advertise your position to other airport users.

Regards,

Old Smokey

[bookworm]

Just love this type of question to get my aged brainbox! Having read (albeit quickly) through the ANO and the Rules of the Air I cannot find a reference to the requirement for landing lights. If someone could please provide me with the reference I'd be very grateful.

Scale G of Schedule 4. It's a fairly recent insertion (you need ANO 2005).

[bookworm]

It's a fairly recent insertion (you need ANO 2005).

Actually, that's not true. Scale G has been there for a long time and refers to PT aircraft. The CAA wanted to introduce a requirement for all aircraft but it looks like that hasn't happened yet.

[AlphaWhiskyRomeo]

Almost positive that the light (attached to the fuselage close to the wing mount and the main gear) was the landing light and not the turn off light.


But by chance today, I saw an A319 approaching MAN with the left main light out, but the right and front gear light working. It's my guess that it was the same a/c I flew on last night, and that the light not working was not related to the electrical faults which delayed our taxi.

Really interesting to hear about the use of lights though.