Tail Beacon

[mostlytossas]

My aircraft beacon at the top of the fin has decided to give up the ghost. A new one has to be sent from the USA as none in OZ, time expected 3 weeks. Does anyone know out in pprune land if this grounds my aircraft until then? I have searched CASA's website the best I can to no avail. The best I can come up with is CAP 42-1 pre flight inspections where the beacon isn't even mentioned. Therefore I assume not important enough to ground you? If I was based at a CTAF no one would notice so could carry on regardless but unfortunately I'm at a Class D airfield where everyone minds everyones elses business.
Any help with the regs would be appreciated.

[LexAir]

See CARs 195 & 196.

[JMEN]

Mostly,

Unless there are a lot of tossers around your aircraft who said the beacon not working?

:=

I am sure there will be a replacement here by the time you notice it!

[baron_beeza]

For NZ readers the rules are much easier to navigate. Part 91, General Operating and Flight Rules covers most things and has a user friendly index.

91.233 Aircraft lights
(a)
A pilot of an aircraft must not—
(1)
operate an aircraft at night unless it has lighted position lights; or
(2)
moor or move an aircraft at night on a water aerodrome unless the aircraft complies with the lighting requirement of the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea; or
(3)
operate an aircraft at night that is required by Subpart F to be equipped with an anti-collision light system unless the anti-collision light system is operating.



91.511 Night VFR instruments and equipment
(a)
A powered aircraft with an airworthiness certificate operated under VFR by night must be equipped in accordance with rule 91.509 and have—
(1)
except as provided in paragraph (b), a means of indicating rate of turn and slip; and
(2)
position lights; and
(3)
an anti-collision light system; and
(4)
illumination for each required instrument or indicator.

[training wheels]

I know some aircraft don't have rotating red beacon lights (for example, the ATR72) but use their strobes in-lieu of this. So I guess if you have strobe lights, then they would be sufficient?

[The Green Goblin]

Have you got an MEL for operation without the beacon working?

Without a document giving you the conditions you can operate under with such an unserviceability, I would imagine you are required to enter it on the defect log and not fly the aeroplane until it is corrected.

That is why operators pay to have approved MELs. It gives you the conditions in which you can operate under with such a condition.

[Lancair70]

195 Compliance with rules about lights
(1) At night and in conditions of poor visibility, the operator and the pilot in command of an aircraft must comply with the rules in this Part requiring lights to be displayed in relation to the aircraft.
Penalty: 25 penalty units.

Id say that answers your question.

[Aussie Bob]

I am not sure how you get three weeks from The States. Forget our slow expensive Aussie dealers and order onlne from Aircraft Spruce. Five working days is about all the time required for these guys to deliver to OZ.

Until then fly without one.

[mostlytossas]

Firstly thankyou to all those that took time to respond.
To just comment on a couple of points raised my aircraft also has nav lights and strobes on the wings fitted so yes I too would guess that it is ok to fly without the beacon. I also notice some composite aircraft do not have rotating beacons fitted. However to CASA guess is not good enough and the owner/pilot must know for sure. I also came across MEL's on their site but can only guess the time and cost of getting one would be out of the question. (could probably import half an aircraft in parts quicker than get an answer from CASA). My aircraft is only a private GA aircraft and used only in the private/business sector.
Yes I could also pretend I didn't know it wasn't working but unfortunatley around here it would soon be pointed out by someone. Usually one of those kid instructors with nothing much else to worry about but someone elses business.
Tomorrow is Monday and I will phone my local CASA office as they are from the government and are their to help me :E

[chimbu warrior]

I will phone my local CASA office as they are from the government and are their to help me

Right.

Why don't you speak to 2 different people in CASA; that way you will get 2 vastly differing opinions, and when they try and hang you with something just refer them to each other.

They can slug it out for a couple of weeks whilst you await your new beacon.

Most rag-wing aircraft don't have rotating beacons, but still manage to fly.

If you are operating privately, just enter it in the defect section of your M/R and away you go.

I knew a bloke named "tail light" once, 'cos he wasn't bright enough to be a headlight.

[Lasiorhinus]

If you dont get the answer you want from CASA, phone back and speak to someone else. Repeat this exercise until someone says its OK.

Oh, and record the phone call.

[Howard Hughes]

In the absence of a MEL, you could always get a PUS issued from CASA, not sure of the cost, but you would then at least be legal!

[mostlytossas]

The last sentence was a joke you know.......boy did that bring the experts in.

[Traffic_Is_Er_Was]

As Lancair70 and LexAir have already pointed out, the answer would be an interpretation of CAR's 195 & 196 I reckon.

CAR 195 (1) At night and in conditions of poor visibility, the operator and the pilot in command of an aircraft must comply with the rules in this Part requiring lights to be displayed in relation to the aircraft.

CAR 196 (3) Unless CASA otherwise directs, an aeroplane in flight or operating on the manoeuvring area of a land aerodrome shall display, in addition to the navigation lights, an anti‑collision light consisting of a flashing red light visible in all directions within 30 degrees above and 30 degrees below the horizontal plane of the aeroplane.

If your reading of CAR195 is that you only need to display lights at night then flying during the day without an operational beacon would seem to be ok, unless you encounter poor visibility (how poor?) then it would apply again.

I would read from CAR 196 that because your aircraft already has a beacon fitted, then unless CASA exempts you, it has to be working, irrespective of whether you have strobes etc. fitted or not, whenever flight conditions dictate that you display the mandatory lighting.

[AerobaticArcher]

Mostlytossas,

Have a look at CAO 20.18, para 10.1A, to operate the aircraft, you only need the instruments stated in CAO 20.18 for whatever flight rules you will be under, plus those required by the flight manual.

AA

[Tankengine]

Take the globe out, go down to super-cheap and buy a halogen globe and some putty, solder the globe in, fill base with putty - put back on aircraft.
problem solved!:E

[VH-XXX]

There was an instrument some years ago released to say that Australian registered aircraft operating within Australia don't need a red beacon if strobes are fitted, but with it being an OEM device that changes things somewhat. Perhaps nobody will notice :)


unfortunately I'm at a Class D airfield where everyone minds everyones elses business.

Surely that doesn't happen aviation !!! :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

[poteroo]

If it's a standard red flasher beacon, with a 1 kg power supply in the aft fuselage just fwd of the tailplane - toss it out and fit a LED replacement. Reduces weight and power drain. At least these can be seen more than 30metres away!
happy days,

[Sunfish]

The Kafkaesque solution: Don't fit a beacon at all. Then the aircraft can not be grounded for a failed beacon.

[Old Akro]

The j-3 cub I fly does not have a rotating beacon. It does not
have anything electric. Neither did the Pitts I used to fly.

Pilots are allowed to change light bulbs. The bulb in the common whelen rotating beacon is a standard ( but uncommon) bayonet bulb that you can buy from auto parts shops. Are you sure it's not just the bulb?

The lights actually get pretty dusty and dirty up there may be benefit from simply cleaning it. The common ones are a simply a 12v bulb with a reflector that rotates around it driven by a motor in the base of the light.