Lights on

[20driver]

I tried to ask this on the COMAIR thread with no answer. If a tower is manned who is reponsible for turning on (checking they are on) the runway lights after a takeoff or landing clearance has being issued. It it the tower or the pilot (aircraft)?
Is a controller is required to verify the lights are on before or after issuing such a clearance. I fly in NA but would be interested in the answer for other places as well.
Thanks
20driver

[Scott Voigt]

In the US the tower controller controls the lights... Why do you ask and why did you ask the Comair thread??? The runway lights in LEX were out of service for that particular runway that was ultimately used...

regards

Scott

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

Same in the UK - controller responsible fo ensuring the lights are on. At larger airports a separate guy/gal called a Lighting Operator will run the show, although responsibility still technicallty lies with the controller. (Lighting operators are the closest you'll get to meeting Superman).

[Spitoon]

UK answer - I'm not sure that 'responsibility' for switching on the runway lights lies with anyone specified. ATC usually do it because they have the controls to switch it all on, off or whatever. Arguably, though, it is the airport operator that ultimately has responsibility because the international standards for lights to be displayed are in ICAO Annex 14 Aerodromes.

In the UK there are some obvious basic rules for when some lighting should be switched on - like when it's dark - but beyond that it's left to individual airports, and often individual controllers, to decide what lights to have on and what brilliancy to set. For the most part this seems to work and pilots always have the option to ask for the settings to be changed.

In the past there was more guidance in the controllers' national instruction book (MATS Part 1) about what brilliance to select for which lights in specific visibilities but that is long gone. Likewise, systems that were supposed to protect us from fools like only permitting lights to be selected for the runway that the ILS is up on seem to be going out of fashion because they limited flexibility.

Whilst HD gives you the answer for London-Heathrow, at just about every other airport in the UK the lights are switched by the controllers. And even at Heeathrow some of the lighting is switched by the controller - namely the stopbars and lead-on lighting on the main runway access points.

[Gonzo]

And of course when we move into the new tower, the ATCOs will be switching on, off and adjusting the runway services themselves.

[Point Seven]

As per the rules Gonzo. LPOs only do it under delegation - and the VCR Supervisor retains resopnsibility to ensure that the correct services are selected and at the correct brilliancies. I think.

P7

[Gonzo]

Of course, P7. We have always been resposnible for them, but soon we'll actually have to do it! :eek:

[vespasia]

In the past there was more guidance in the controllers' national instruction book (MATS Part 1) about what brilliance to select for which lights in specific visibilities but that is long gone.

Almost, but not quite. At Gatwick the lights are set up according to specified vis and/or cloud conditions, and while some variation is permitted in better vis ( pilot request or controller decision ) the lights must be set correctly when IRVRs show, or the IRVR value will be incorrect. Don't know about other airfields in this respect, but, when it's working properly, our lighting system also has presets which put all the required lights on at the " approved " setting when selected.

[Gonzo]

Is it not CAP168 now?

[Spitoon]

Almost, but not quite. At Gatwick the lights are set up according to specified vis and/or cloud conditions, and while some variation is permitted in better vis ( pilot request or controller decision ) the lights must be set correctly when IRVRs show, or the IRVR value will be incorrect. Don't know about other airfields in this respect, but, when it's working properly, our lighting system also has presets which put all the required lights on at the " approved " setting when selected.So these instructions are in the KK MATS Part 2, not Part 1- which is what I said.

And, yes, the 'typical' settings are in CAP 168.