Landing lights on during cruise (FL390)
 

Hi

Just done Lufthansa nightflight to/from Kuwait and was wondering why the landing lights were turned on over Southern Turkey and approaching Israel. Collision avoidance or something else?

Cheers

If you had been over flying Africa, the reason would have been because ATC is not always awake and other a/c not always in full communication with everyone else.

My guess, as a pax, is that flight crew want to make sure that they are seen by everyone else and are clearly identified as a passenger airliner.

Hi,

Shamelessly tagging on to this thread.

I was flying back from MCO to LGW a couple of weeks ago, and the crew briefly switched on the landing lights then too. Must have only been for about 5 seconds, and I think we over the Atlantic by then.

Just curious as to why they might have done that?

RP

When I was briefly flying the night mail in Twin Beeches 35 years ago, we'd do it as a howdy to opposite-direction traffic, which at 0300 and 7,000-8,000 feet was almost certainly one of us.

Yes, most likely so that on coming traffic know that you're there. Some times also used to see if you're in cloud or not at the lower levels.

In that part of the world best to have everything on, never know who is around intercepting

As for the lights being switched on only briefly we sometimes do it to check if there are any clouds ahead so we can switch on or off the engine anti ice.

About 8 years was on a KLM flight AMS-SIN over Russia, when I saw the landing lights briefly flash a few times, and then noticed we had two escorts for a little while. Told the FA, who was a little surprised too. But apparently its not that unusual.

Are you sure it was landing lights and not the wing lights? There is a switch in the cockpit which will illuminate the wings so that the crew can check any ice build up or suspected problems. As many have said previously, on these occasions it was probably to increase visibility to other aircraft operating nearby.

Champ

Just while the subject of lights is being discussed I was wondering if any crew wish to comment on which Aircraft are the most visible to you (strobes, beacon) at night.

Is the Airbus with the double flashing wing strobe easier to spot than say a 757 from a distance.

I have noticed that the new Embraer 190 series seem to be very conspicuous with the wing strobes being very bright especially when viewed from the rear.