View Full Version : High Visibility Aircraft Colour
nomorecatering
15th Oct 2007, 08:50
What are the best colours to paint aircraft so that ATCO's can see them, and other pilots in the air can see them. Was thinking something like fluro yellows, orange, red etc.
Now of all the fleet wre the same colour, could he tails be given different colours so ATC could tell them appart, would that be helpfull.
Cap'n Arrr
15th Oct 2007, 09:10
As I pilot, I find clean white pretty easy to see
Paint the front half bright pink (http://video.aol.com/video-detail/pink-plane-flies-for-breast-cancer-awareness/739302768), that would probably get you noticed.
Gets the local dogs excited too.
Low Cost Carrier
15th Oct 2007, 09:59
Fluoro Yellow or Orange with reflective tape down the sides. Could go with different patterns on the tails for different aircraft with the reflective tape. :O
Kris Lovell
15th Oct 2007, 11:59
years ago BTM and BTK used to swan about with pink fluro tips on tail and tips
Andy_RR
15th Oct 2007, 12:58
Black is the most visible colour for aircraft - just ask the RAF.
man on the ground
15th Oct 2007, 13:45
Many years ago, the National Safety Council had one of their birds (the Dornier?) tricked up in a half fluro pink scheme. Looked horrible, but you could see it from the tower when it was 2 states away!
HappyJack260
16th Oct 2007, 04:38
Black is the high vis colour for the UK - it stands out well against the predominantly light grey colour of the sky. I believe that in Australia it wouldn't work so well - yellow is probably better - perhaps with some black stripes to provide contrast. But that depends on where in Australia you're operating - what's the background? Desert, bush, trees, suburban?
currawong
16th Oct 2007, 05:31
Gloss white.
In the distance it looks shiny/silver.
Some of the "high vis" colours all but disappear in red dirt country.
Andy_RR
16th Oct 2007, 08:26
Black is the high vis colour for the UK - it stands out well against the predominantly light grey colour of the sky.
Ha ha! You're joking right? That is one of the perpetual myths that Aussies love to push about the UK. You know they actually have lovely blue skies over there too - even in mid winter!
A
future.boeing.cpt
16th Oct 2007, 08:50
hahahaha
how about a full chrome paint scheme?
would reflect any light, easy to see in both day and night!
XD
:ok:
HappyJack260
16th Oct 2007, 08:51
...the predominantly light grey colour of the sky...is one of the perpetual myths that Aussies love to push about the UK. You know they actually have lovely blue skies over there too - even in mid winter!
I'm not an Aussie - I'm English
I've just come back from 4 weeks of beautiful English late summer weather, with only 2-3 days of rain, and arrived back in Sydney to 2-3 days of cold, grey, wet weather...
...BUT, if you checked the stats I think you'd find the cloud cover in the UK more widespread with more oktas over more days than in, say, Sydney, which is predominantly a result of its maritime climate and the effects of the Gulf Stream.
So a dark background would make more sense against a light background than against the dark
blue, hole-in-the-ozone-layer conditions we often experience here in Oz.
Atlas Shrugged
16th Oct 2007, 23:39
how about a full chrome paint scheme?
would reflect any light, easy to see in both day and night!
Not against overcast skies or with a bit of cloud behind it
Torres
17th Oct 2007, 00:48
Proven many times the best colour scheme for vis and SAR:
http://aviation-safety.net/photos/aircraft/19870206-0-P-d-1-500.jpg
jumpuFOKKERjump
17th Oct 2007, 00:51
Read a study about English gliders that recommended foil tape over the leading edges of wing/fin/tailplane & all control surfaces. The 'glints' made the craft detectable at significantly greater distances.
Probably look like **** though.
Andy_RR
17th Oct 2007, 03:08
http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/FactSheets/Tucano.htm
Spaghetti Monster
17th Oct 2007, 04:16
Once you climb up through the clouds you tend to find that skies in the UK are just as blue as here, and black works fine against it. Harder to see at low level against a background of dark green trees, though.
Kickatinalong
17th Oct 2007, 05:56
Some time ago there was a dark blue C152 at YSBK it was HCE the tower loved it because they could see it better than ony other aircraft. The problem was following pilots could NOT see the dam thing, it has since been repainted white and it works OK for following a/c and after all the tower is not going to crash into you are they?
I took one of the tower operators up and we followed HCE and he could not believe he could not see the little beasty.
Kickatinalong.
RENURPP
17th Oct 2007, 06:37
Sounds to me like the answer is;
It depends on the background, i.e.
If he is above you, below cloud or blue sky?
If he is below you and the surfact is water, desert, forest or built up area?
Paint it a colour you like and put a transponder and TCAS on board, and turn them on.
Andy_RR
17th Oct 2007, 08:20
Almost by definition, following an aircraft is going to be tricky, whatever the colour is because the section area is designed to be as small as possible.
The most difficult part about spotting an aircraft in the circuit, at least at a training airfield, is they're usually pretending not to be...
(in the circuit that is)
A
PS: so black underneath and white/yellow/orange/pink on top seems to be the best option.