Runway lighting Spacing
Thread Starter
Joined: Jul 2011
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From: Australia
Runway lighting Spacing
Looking at Runway lighting at various airports. No where can I find what the spacing is. Where as I am told on airports overseas the runway light spacing is specified for runway edge and center line lighting for each airport and it is normally on the page indicating what the Take-Off minimas are.. Am I looking at the wrong place if so could somebody please enlighten me.
Thanks
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Thanks
new
Joined: Apr 2002
Aviation Qualifications: PPL
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From: Surrey, UK ;
In the UK all the necessary characteristics and design parameters for aerodromes are set out in CAP 168 http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/33/CAP168.PDF I imagine the rest of the world will be pretty similar
Joined: Mar 2012
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From: GPS Signal Lost
Joined: Sep 2008
Aviation Qualifications: ATPL
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From: 41S174E
New ifr, you need too slow down a bit, take a deep breath, and just accept the fact that the airport authorities will provide the lighting required
Joined: Jun 2001
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From: Australia
@ TCAS FAN - "Standard edge lighting spacing for instrument runways is 60 metres."
Be careful with that statement, as an example Taree used to be 90 metre spacing, I doubt anything has changed.
Not many country "IFR" airports are 60 metres.
Be careful with that statement, as an example Taree used to be 90 metre spacing, I doubt anything has changed.
Not many country "IFR" airports are 60 metres.
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 1,652
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From: 50+ north
Assuming that we are talking about international airports within ICAO Contracting States, each State will be a signatory to the ICAO Convention, Article 38 of which requires each State to notify Differences to the ICAO Standards. In the case of lighting, Standards are set out in ICAO Annex 14, Volume 1, at Chapter 5. Courtesy of a friendly State, link to this document is below
http://dcaa.trafikstyrelsen.dk:8000/...n%20no%205.pdf
All you want to know about lighting, but maybe were too afraid to ask?
If a particular State does not comply (ie meet the minimum) with a Standard a summary of Differences is contained in a Supplement to the Annex, specifying the nature of the Difference. Assuming that ICAO has been notified.
If you find that a particular State does not comply, and the Supplement does not notify it, speak to your aircraft's State of Registry regulator. They have the right to take the matter up either directly with the State or via ICAO.
http://dcaa.trafikstyrelsen.dk:8000/...n%20no%205.pdf
All you want to know about lighting, but maybe were too afraid to ask?
If a particular State does not comply (ie meet the minimum) with a Standard a summary of Differences is contained in a Supplement to the Annex, specifying the nature of the Difference. Assuming that ICAO has been notified.
If you find that a particular State does not comply, and the Supplement does not notify it, speak to your aircraft's State of Registry regulator. They have the right to take the matter up either directly with the State or via ICAO.
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 74
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From: Australia
Have a look at the Manual of standards Part 139
Manual of Standards Part 139 - Aerodromes
Chapter 9 covers airfield lighting and 9.10.4 states:
9.10.4 Longitudinal Spacing of Runway Edge Lights
9.10.4.1 The longitudinal spacing of runway edge lights must be uniform and be:
(a) for an instrument runway, 60 m +0 / -5 m;
(b) for a non-instrument runway, 90 m ± 10 m, or 60 m +0 / -5 m if there is an intention to upgrade the runway to an instrument runway at some time in the future.
(c) for non-precision instrument runways intended to be used in visibility conditions of 1.5 km or greater, where existing edge lights are spaced at 90 m ±10 m, it is acceptable to retain this spacing until the next replacement or improvement of the edge lighting system. (This situation typically arises from an existing non-instrument runway being upgraded to a non-precision instrument runway, but without re-installing the runway edge lights to the 60 m +0 / -5 m standard.)
Hope this helps
Manual of Standards Part 139 - Aerodromes
Chapter 9 covers airfield lighting and 9.10.4 states:
9.10.4 Longitudinal Spacing of Runway Edge Lights
9.10.4.1 The longitudinal spacing of runway edge lights must be uniform and be:
(a) for an instrument runway, 60 m +0 / -5 m;
(b) for a non-instrument runway, 90 m ± 10 m, or 60 m +0 / -5 m if there is an intention to upgrade the runway to an instrument runway at some time in the future.
(c) for non-precision instrument runways intended to be used in visibility conditions of 1.5 km or greater, where existing edge lights are spaced at 90 m ±10 m, it is acceptable to retain this spacing until the next replacement or improvement of the edge lighting system. (This situation typically arises from an existing non-instrument runway being upgraded to a non-precision instrument runway, but without re-installing the runway edge lights to the 60 m +0 / -5 m standard.)
Hope this helps
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 74
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From: Australia
Captahab,
Not sure if that question was for me and i cant exactly answer it with certainty but i do know with a lot of things in the MOS139 there are dispensations for pre-existing stuff.
Eg: if the lights have been 90m spacing for 10yrs and the rule about the lights came out 9yrs ago then as the were per-existing to the new requirements they may be given a dispensation until its time to upgrade/replace them
Don't take this as gospel but i believe its how a lot of stuff at older airfields work or it would require many many millions of dollars to move taxiways/terminals/roads/apron lights each time an amendment was made for different spacing
Not sure if that question was for me and i cant exactly answer it with certainty but i do know with a lot of things in the MOS139 there are dispensations for pre-existing stuff.
Eg: if the lights have been 90m spacing for 10yrs and the rule about the lights came out 9yrs ago then as the were per-existing to the new requirements they may be given a dispensation until its time to upgrade/replace them
Don't take this as gospel but i believe its how a lot of stuff at older airfields work or it would require many many millions of dollars to move taxiways/terminals/roads/apron lights each time an amendment was made for different spacing
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 1,652
Likes: 138
From: 50+ north
Captahab
Unless the approach minima is specified as "circling minima", ie you are making an instrument approach to the airport, not a specified runway, the runways have to be designated as instrument runways. If the approach charts specify a runway to each RNAV procedure, it must be an instrument runway that you are making the approach to.
Check your AIP (Oz?) it will specify any Differences from ICAO Annex 14, and explain what has been used nationally. If no Difference is shown and no other references appear in the AIP to explain an apparent greater runway edge light spacing, I'd contact your regulator for an explanation.
Unless the approach minima is specified as "circling minima", ie you are making an instrument approach to the airport, not a specified runway, the runways have to be designated as instrument runways. If the approach charts specify a runway to each RNAV procedure, it must be an instrument runway that you are making the approach to.
Check your AIP (Oz?) it will specify any Differences from ICAO Annex 14, and explain what has been used nationally. If no Difference is shown and no other references appear in the AIP to explain an apparent greater runway edge light spacing, I'd contact your regulator for an explanation.
Joined: Dec 2006
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From: Behind a CB near you
Mount Isa has 90m spacing and has VOR, NDB, DGA and RNAV approaches. The 90m spacing is mentioned specifically in ERSA for MA.
Without looking at the AIP for a reference, in addition to what was quoted from the CASA MOS, it mentions a couple of runways that whilst they are "Instrument Runways" they are also classified as country airports and only have 90m spacing. Broome is another from memory (I stand to be corrected on that)
Edit: I guess MA and Broome fall into one of the categories Gav just mentioned.
Without looking at the AIP for a reference, in addition to what was quoted from the CASA MOS, it mentions a couple of runways that whilst they are "Instrument Runways" they are also classified as country airports and only have 90m spacing. Broome is another from memory (I stand to be corrected on that)
Edit: I guess MA and Broome fall into one of the categories Gav just mentioned.
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 161
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From: Straya
If he is new to IFR it would be kinda nice for him to be able to count the 14 lights required visibility though.
Hope you don't mean counting 14 lights to check he has the required visibility to land at the DA
?
Joined: Jan 2008
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From: Australia
ERSA only stipulates the light spacing if it doesn't meet the current standard as per MOS 139. For example, the Mt Isa runway has 90 metre edge light spacing, which met the applicable standard when it was installed back in the late 60s.
