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-   -   runway lights (https://www.pprune.org/flight-ground-ops-crewing-dispatch/618360-runway-lights.html)

orbsi 13th Feb 2019 16:39

runway lights
 
If an international airport has daily operating hours = 06:00 to midnight, and assuming there are no late departures or arrivals, would the runway lights normally be left on or turned off for the remaining 6 hours?

evansb 13th Feb 2019 19:39

Don't most international airports have ARCAL? (Aircraft Radio Control of Aerodrome Lighting) or PAL? (Pilot Activated-Lighting).

orbsi 13th Feb 2019 23:24

Thankyou evansb. I have checked and believe that at the particular international airports I am interested in there is no ability to turn on the runway lights from the air. Giving as example Shannon airport (Ireland), all departures and arrivals appear to be in period approx 6am-midnight, just curious whether the runway lights are left on or turned off during the other hours?

Rwy in Sight 16th Feb 2019 07:22

Some twenty years ago, I lived in a mix (civil-military airport) as I was doing my military service. The airport served international flights as well (flight actually). The lights were turned off every night after the Air Force fights stopped for the night. And if a med-evac flight was taking fight the airport was activated handled the flight and closed down again after the departure of C-130

pottwiddler 17th Feb 2019 21:47

As Lookingforajob, says, many airports do work at night, but as a general rule, if it's not required by CAP168 or the pilot landing then switch it off. Aerodrome Ground Lightning is horrendously expensive to run, both in terms of energy cost, even with LED lamps, cost of renewal of the lamps (based on hours run) cabling and other equipment.
The same goes for Apron lighting, if no-one needs to be working on the standf then that too should be switched off.

orbsi 21st Feb 2019 22:40

Thankyou to Rwy in Sight + LookingForAJob + pottwiddler.
Some of the airports I am looking at are Kota Bharu + Penang + Langkawi all in Malaysia + Banda Aceh in Indonesia..
I think these 4 airports have no incoming or outgoing flights in the period approx midnight to 06:00 (local time).
So I am assuming that possibly soon after the last incoming or outgoing flight, the runway lights might be turned off and the tower unmanned.
If it's dark night with no moonlight and the runway lights are off would it be possible to land safely?
Would there be enough illumination of the runway, from only the obstacle lights, and the aircraft's own landing lights?


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