Use of Landing Lights
 

I just wondered what other instructors teach in relation to the use of landings lights. i have come across a few clubs who discourage the use of landing lights because of the cost of replacement landing lights.

Personally I have come the the conclusion to reduce my risk and that of others of a midair, I teach and operate as follows, on below 1500 ft and finals, transiting through a NDB, VOR or reference point, or in a VFR low level corridor, on being advised of a radar contact by ATC, areas of military or gliding activity and finally after landing checks to include turn landing light off. The reason I do that is that an engineer once told me that what burns out landing lights or reduces their life, is lack of airflow cooling effect while taxying.

Does anyone have landing lights on a all times, because I wonder if that is a better idea?

Would someone from the UAS or AEF like to tell me what the present policy is for the RAF G115?

Would any engineers on here like to comment on the life of landing lights and the cost?

I teach that the landing light, strobes and nav lights go on immediately prior to entering the runway for take-off. They stay on in the interests of conspicuity for the entire sortie and are switched off as part of the after-landing checks.

If I remember correctly we did this on the VGS Vigilants on the back of an RAF study some years ago that leaving the LL on reduced the risk of birdstrike by a significant percentage. Presumably every little increase in conspicuity helps, and LED landing-lamp bulbs last a lot longer than incandescents.

Landing light on for take off. Landing light on for landing. Off the rest of the time. They have such a short life that you have no idea when they fail so it's just a placebo. On most of the twins I fly it's part of gear so gone on retract.

The modern LED lights have a much longer life. I've seen a few schools embracing these, and they seem just as bright, so having them on for the entire flight would seem sensible.

Always teach Landing light on before entering the runway and off as part of after take-off checks, unless vis isn't great then leave on. On again as part of pre-landing checks.

This. It makes perfect sense and, with LEDs, failure is a minimal consideration. A lot of my teaching is in a very busy piece of airspace and I frequently see the lights of others as the first sign somebody is out there - particularly when they are turning. I certainly think landing lights are far more conspicuous than anti coll and strobes.

Out of interest, how many of you notice the strobes on GA aircraft in average day conditions?

I guess the way we should all go is with LED landing lights and on all the time. It's odd that motorcylists and some modern cars have have headlights on all the time, but still some resistance to aircraft having the landing lights on at all times, but an obsession with high vis jackets.

Still wondering was the UAS or AEF Grob 115 policy is?

>Out of interest, how many of you notice the strobes on GA aircraft in average day conditions?<

I usually see the landing light before I see the strobes. On most GA aircraft the latter aren't particularly bright. Military HISLs are a lot easier to see and I almost always pick up the local Griffins and Squirrels initially via their strobes.

Perhaps I'm turning into a Grumpy Old Man but my pet peeve is people who seem to feel that the strobes should go on as soon as the engine starts and go off when it stops. Distracting during the day if you're parked next to them, and just the thing for wrecking your night vision in a millisecond.:ugh:

We have a halogen replacement that has so far lasted 3 years. It is approved and only £25. In my opinion it is better for night landings than an LED.

G115 Tutor on AEF have Led landing light, it is switched on at taxi and left on until returning to the dispersal. It is turned off on entry as it can dazzle the ground crew.

Acw

What I teach for light SOP's is basically the pretty much universal airline SOP

-Position lights on when power applied ( ie master turned on)

-Beacon on just prior to start

-Taxi light on when moving on ground, off when stopped

-Strobes on when crossing a runway on the taxi or taxing up runway as part of the taxi to the takeoff point

-Strobes on when entering active runway

-Landing light on when cleared for takeoff ( controlled airport) or starting takeoff roll (uncontrolled airport)

-Landing light stays on when in low level cruise or in the flight training practice area.

The arrival is the same sequence in reverse

on our warrior three, it doesnt have a beacon on the fin, so its strobes on before engine start.

ACW348.... I had guessed that might be the RAF policy on the Grob, quite sensible, I presume the landing light (at night) would go off at a holding point if an aircraft is passing on landing or take off.

ACW348, or anyone else, is there any chance of you letting us know via the engineers what the life of the landing lights on the Grobb 115 and are they halogen or LED?

I use my landing lights for noise abatement.

They look like a four spot made up of LEDs, will ask what the life is like, but I think it is pretty good being LED. Ps Tutors don't fly at night ��

I'm off the persuasion that below 18,000 all lights should be on.
There's a reason for that.
SE or ME or Jet.
Doesn't matter.
Used to teach the same.
Taxi light ON for ground movement and add the landing light when taking the runway. If the aircraft is equipped with 2 lights that is.
Difference being angle and sometimes beam width also.
Just makes the light more visible in a larger cone.

I'm with bose-x on this.

At night and in poor vis. in the vicinity of an aerodrome - yes, landing light on.

ACW348..... Why do the Tutors G115s not fly at night... sounds a bit like CAAFU withdrew the CPL night flight test in the eighties on singles. Are the RAF saying that night flying on singles is not safe, or is this down to the prop issues?

I think it was before the eighties. I did my commercial GFTs in 1979 and the night had to be done in a twin.

Yes and by the eighties, they ended the night section on the CPL skill test.