Recognition lights - when should be used?

[flyer696]

Hi guys!

I hope that my thread is in a good section of this forum, if not I apologize and kindly ask to move it to the proper place.

I started to fly new Senecas V and Mooney Acclaim. In Seneca there is a rocker switch which allows me to turn on the landing lights OR recognition lights. Similar lights are fitted in Mooney Acclaim but as a separate switch instead of rocker switch with landing lights. Recognition light is on the wing tip, looks like landing light but is blinking!

I went through google,FAR/AIM, jeppesen ATPL and CPL books and I didn't found anything saying when to use recognition lights. I asked few instructors and airline pilots flying ERJ, B737 and A320 and they don't have that lights and have no idea when to use it. Can somebody explain me when recognition lights shall be used? Can you give me some regulations about that? Any difference in FAA and JAA regulations?

I will appreciate all your suggestions.

Looking forward for fast response,

Konrad

[sycamore]

If you have a radio failure ,you fly overhead the airfield ,flashing your lights to attract attention.

[flyer696]

Are you sure? Can you tell me paragraph in aviation law which describes that procedure?

[Capt Claret]

Flyer696,

What you describe as a recognition light (flashing on the wingtip) I would describe as a strobe light. In my flying career, these have been turned on entering the runway for takeoff and then turned off exiting the runway after landing. Sometimes in cloud, the flashing can be disconcerting, so they might be turned off for a period in flight in cloud.

What I know as recognition lights, are lights that illuminate the tail fin, and usually the airline logo painted on it. A mix of advertising the operator of the aircraft, and increasing the visual presence of the aircraft. In my curent operation, we use these recognition lights only at night, and only below 10,000'.

[spitfires rule]

I would personally use the recog. light setting during day approaches and takeoffs. Also when operating in high traffic areas such as known training areas, VFR corridors etc. It's really pilot discretion. See and be seen !

The only Air reg at least in Canada pertains to the use of landing lights when carrying pax at night, as well as the need for nav lights and some form of anti-collision light for night operations. As an aside in Canada, I don't believe that the recog. light would be an acceptable anti-collision light as it is not viewable from 360deg as they are just aimed forward.
Hope that helps.

As to what Capt. Claret is referring to I know those lights are usually referred to as logo lights... Recognition lights are seemingly airplane specific. The PC12 has lights installed in the flap fairings also referred to as recog. lights but these are just the steady variety like an extra set of landing lights.

Wig-wag aux landing lights - YouTube (http://youtu.be/lO3fD4Kc7ZI) For Capt Claret :ok: Op is referring to this type of strobe.

[flyer696]

Dear Capt Claret. Of course I know strobe lights and I know when to use strobes. I am talking about RECOGNITION lights not anticollision. As I said recognition light is a rare feature of brand new GA airplanes like Seneca V or Mooney M20TN and are operating exactly like those from youtube link (but those ones looks like aftermarket installation).

spitfires rule:

All of that is true. All the time we need to have anticollision lights turned on (rotating beacon or strobes - depending on airplane), furthermore at night nav lights and landing light. All of that can be easily found in aviation law (ex. FAR/AIM). Your answer about using recognition lights only during the day and in busy environment makes a lot of sense. But again I kindly ask to give me some paragraph from aviation law which clearly describes when to use recognition lights. I want to stick to the regulations because some say that maybe recognition light is to be used only during emergency (ex. radio failure) or only on request from ATC (ex. to recognize particular airplane in busy environment). All that theories makes some sense but definitive answer will be only in some paragraph of aviation law (either US or EU).

[Intruder]

I doubt there is any "aviation law" on them, because they are not mandatory lights. Outside of specific regulations regarding anticollision lights and navigation lights (FAR 91.209 in the US) and some recommendations regarding runway incursions (AC 120-74), there are no "laws" regulating their use. Even FAR 121.323, which requires that landing lights be installed, does not say when they are required to be [not] used. Company SOPs usually include procedures for use of lights.

Why don't you go down to your nearest aviation regulatory office and ask one of the regulators or inspectors? What might be "law" in the US may not be "law" in Poland...

[mutt]

Last aircraft I flew had the landing lights mounted on the undercarriage, so they only worked when the gear was down. It therefore had a recognition light mounted in the top of the tail facing forward, we would takeoff with landing lights on, then when the gear went up, use the recognition light up to 10,000 feet. On the way down, recognition light on at TOD, landing lights on with the Gear down.

Mutt

[flyer696]

I just went through "ICAO Annex 2 - Rules of the Air" and my track connected to airplane lights leads me to Volume 2 part A chapter 4 of ICAO doc 9760. Doc is about airplane airworthiness. Can somebody give me a link to that document? I didn't get Vol. 2 Part A in google.

[ahramin]

Flyer696, you aren't going to find any regulations on recog lights as they are not a required light. Instead you need to THINK about what they are for.

Recog lights are there to increase your visibility to aircraft or birds in front of you, so any time you are in a situation where it would be helpful to increase your visibility, that's when you use them. I usually turn them on at the start of the takeoff roll with the landing lights, and leave them on for the first 3000' of the climb, longer in high density airspace.

Not all recog lights blink.

From the Mooney Manual, which I hope you went through
18. RECOGNITION LIGHT (LITE) (If installed)
Recognition light combination switch/circuit breaker turns recognition light ON. Should a short occur, combination switch/circuit breaker will automatically trip to OFF position.
19. TAXI LIGHT (TAXI LITE) SWITCHES (L & R)
20. LANDING LIGHT (LDG LITE) SWITCHES (L & R)
Select and push split switches to turn desired set of lights ON. Push switches OFFto turn desired set of lights off. Lights should be operated only for short time periods while not in flight to preclude overheating of lamps. Overload protection is achieved by circuit breakers in panel.

In the case of the Seneca where you can have either the landing lights or the recog lights on, I would recommend only using the recog function during the day, might get very annoying at night.

[flyer696]

Thanks for all helpful answers!