Landing Lights
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Landing Lights
Just wanted to gather some opinions on the use of landing lights.
Where I'm learning, different instuctors seem to have different opinions on when/whether to use the landing light.
One instructor likes it switched on entering the runway for departure, but not to bother with it any other time. Another instructor doesn't bother with it at all! At the weekend in my lesson we called finals, and I asked 'landing light on?', the response to which was an almost indignant 'no, dont bother'.
To me, this seems a little odd. If I'm about to enter the runway, I'd find it much easier to spot an aircraft on finals with the landing light on, than with it off. See and be seen and all that - after all, it is only one extra switch, hardly a massive increase in workload!
What do you think?
Where I'm learning, different instuctors seem to have different opinions on when/whether to use the landing light.
One instructor likes it switched on entering the runway for departure, but not to bother with it any other time. Another instructor doesn't bother with it at all! At the weekend in my lesson we called finals, and I asked 'landing light on?', the response to which was an almost indignant 'no, dont bother'.
To me, this seems a little odd. If I'm about to enter the runway, I'd find it much easier to spot an aircraft on finals with the landing light on, than with it off. See and be seen and all that - after all, it is only one extra switch, hardly a massive increase in workload!
What do you think?
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I was trained that if the aircraft is fitted with landing lights then use them on final to make yourself more conspicuous to aircraft about to depart.
Why not do this? I cannot see any downside
I must admit I cannot see any point in putting them on when entering the runway for departure. What is the supoposed benefit?
Why not do this? I cannot see any downside
I must admit I cannot see any point in putting them on when entering the runway for departure. What is the supoposed benefit?
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The advantages of using landing lights on either take-off or landing (by day) are two-fold - (1) they draw attention to other traffic near or about to cross or enter the runway that you are about to arrive/depart and (2) they act to some degree as bird scarers.
By night, of course, there is a third benefit ...
JD
By night, of course, there is a third benefit ...
JD
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There are several reasons for using a landing light. Or, essentially, any aircraft light.
- To see what's in front of you at night (duh)
- To increase your visibility for other aircraft
- Signaling of take-off/landing clearances to ATC and other aircraft close to the runway
- Reduction of bird strike risk
And there are reasons for switching lights off:
- To protect your night vision/not get disoriented yourself (strobes in cloud!)
- To do the same, but to other airfield users
- To save money: a hot landing light filament is supposedly more vulnerable to vibration than a cold one.
Except for the first one all are subject to debate and people do have different opinions on them - even instructors. And since the use of a landing light for GA VFR flights is not subject to any law or regulation, expect a healthy debate every now and then.
Me - I turn them on whenever I feel there's even a marginally good reason for using them. That includes all circuit/runway operations, and whenever I get a traffic warning.
- To see what's in front of you at night (duh)
- To increase your visibility for other aircraft
- Signaling of take-off/landing clearances to ATC and other aircraft close to the runway
- Reduction of bird strike risk
And there are reasons for switching lights off:
- To protect your night vision/not get disoriented yourself (strobes in cloud!)
- To do the same, but to other airfield users
- To save money: a hot landing light filament is supposedly more vulnerable to vibration than a cold one.
Except for the first one all are subject to debate and people do have different opinions on them - even instructors. And since the use of a landing light for GA VFR flights is not subject to any law or regulation, expect a healthy debate every now and then.
Me - I turn them on whenever I feel there's even a marginally good reason for using them. That includes all circuit/runway operations, and whenever I get a traffic warning.
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I had the same thing - different instructors with different opinions (and 10 times worse when it came to pitot heat!)
Basically I've come to the conclusion that I use it in the circuit (as per the checklist), near VOR's and VRP's, around airfields, and flash it on and off whenever I see possible conflicting traffic.
Pitot heat, well, I have all sorts of options: always on, always off, only on near cloud, only on cloudy days, only on sunny days, only when ice could be a factor, only below 1000 feet, only above 1000 feet, only when you feel it's necessary, ARGHH!!
Basically I now use it when I'm going near cloud and switch it on on the pre-landing checks if there are conditions conducive to icing.
FF
Basically I've come to the conclusion that I use it in the circuit (as per the checklist), near VOR's and VRP's, around airfields, and flash it on and off whenever I see possible conflicting traffic.
Pitot heat, well, I have all sorts of options: always on, always off, only on near cloud, only on cloudy days, only on sunny days, only when ice could be a factor, only below 1000 feet, only above 1000 feet, only when you feel it's necessary, ARGHH!!
Basically I now use it when I'm going near cloud and switch it on on the pre-landing checks if there are conditions conducive to icing.
FF
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Me I always switch em on when cleared for takeoff and also when entering the zone. they go off when I've left the runway after landing or when I've left the zone outbound...if I have to cross an active as part of the taxi then I turn everything on while crossing. For those interested here's what IFALPA has to say on the subject :
http://www.ifalpa.org/downloads/Leve...ion%20risk.pdf
http://www.ifalpa.org/downloads/Leve...ion%20risk.pdf
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I turn mine on when entering the runway and off when leaving the runway at the end of the flight. I have a HID light so there is no filament to break and relatively low power consumption for a high light output.
As well as helping others see me there is some research that says using the landing light may reduce the chance of a bird strike.
As well as helping others see me there is some research that says using the landing light may reduce the chance of a bird strike.
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My instructor introduced the landing light to me once I was comfortable in the circuit, prior to first solo.
I’m still learning but it's now become second nature to turn it on when I'm settled on final.
I’m not experienced but in my view it makes sense to use it if you have it. Better to be safe than sorry.
The only problem I have is remembering to turn it off again when doing a touch and go!
I’m still learning but it's now become second nature to turn it on when I'm settled on final.
I’m not experienced but in my view it makes sense to use it if you have it. Better to be safe than sorry.
The only problem I have is remembering to turn it off again when doing a touch and go!
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The only problem I have is remembering to turn it off again when doing a touch and go!
At power check - taxi light off, landing light on.
After landing check, landing light off, taxi light on.
Shutdown - taxi light off.
(Yes I know other instructors at the same club teach other things in the same aircraft, but that's the version I prefer.)
I'm not going to be wanting to worry about ****ing around with lights in the circuits, particularly not on an unplanned go-around.
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Your landing lights will increase your visual presence when airborne. It makes it easier for other traffic to spot you.
I have a simple policy that has worked for me from day one.
Always leave your landing light on when your in a circuit or doing touch & goes.
Once you've vacated the active runway you can switch it off.
I have a simple policy that has worked for me from day one.
Always leave your landing light on when your in a circuit or doing touch & goes.
Once you've vacated the active runway you can switch it off.
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Landing Lights
Be careful if you turn them on in cloud,fog or mist at night, when trying to find the runway. It will light up the inside of the cloud and be disconcerting to your approach and landing.
Tmb
Tmb
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Beacon should always be on when operating the aircraft.
Strobes on when crossing a runway (and landing light if you think it'll make a difference), off when clear.
Strobes and landing light on when cleared for takeoff (or when announcing takeoff on ctaf). If I'm staying in the circuit, I leave them all on until I've landed and cleared the runway. If I'm leaving the pattern, I generally leave them all on until I've reached my cruising altitude to help with bird and traffic avoidance then kill the landing light at cruise. I wouldn't turn off the landing light until at least 1000-2000 agl because your birdstrikes typically happen down there. When inbound, I get the landing light on the descent check and leave it on until I'm clear of the runway.
A little memory aid that you can use any time you enter the runway for takeoff or exit after landing is "Lights, Camera, Action"
Lights: landing light and strobes
Camera: Transponder to Alt or standby
Action: Mixture, Fuel Pump, doors/windows. All of the last minute things you wait to do until you're holding short and you get your clearance. The "Action" part depends more on the particular airplane you fly but try to find a flow that will help keep you from forgetting anything. For the Action step in Pipers I usually just start at the mixture, move up to the fuel pump, and move out to the windows/doors to make sure they're secure. There's not much that's more distracting than having a window pop open halfway through your takeoff roll.
I only use nav lights when it's getting close to dark or when going IFR.
I put the pitot heat on when there is visible moisture present and temperature is below 40 or 45. And I don't turn it off when I pop out of a cloud and then turn it back on after I pop into another one--if we're going to be in and out of the clouds I just leave it on. My CFI likes to flip it off if we've got a 2 minute period of VMC and turn it back on before we get back into the clouds but I find that to be pretty dumb. It takes the thing at least a minute or so to heat up, sometimes a lot longer when it's really cold out and you've got a lot of wind (and not to mention rain or whatever)!
Oh and please don't be the guy that sits there waiting for takeoff at night for 5 minutes with his strobes on while another airplane is sitting right behind him getting blinded by it. Once the next airplane has stopped and I know they see me I might even turn off the beacon out of courtesy if it's actually the red strobe type instead of the older glow or rotating type.
Strobes on when crossing a runway (and landing light if you think it'll make a difference), off when clear.
Strobes and landing light on when cleared for takeoff (or when announcing takeoff on ctaf). If I'm staying in the circuit, I leave them all on until I've landed and cleared the runway. If I'm leaving the pattern, I generally leave them all on until I've reached my cruising altitude to help with bird and traffic avoidance then kill the landing light at cruise. I wouldn't turn off the landing light until at least 1000-2000 agl because your birdstrikes typically happen down there. When inbound, I get the landing light on the descent check and leave it on until I'm clear of the runway.
A little memory aid that you can use any time you enter the runway for takeoff or exit after landing is "Lights, Camera, Action"
Lights: landing light and strobes
Camera: Transponder to Alt or standby
Action: Mixture, Fuel Pump, doors/windows. All of the last minute things you wait to do until you're holding short and you get your clearance. The "Action" part depends more on the particular airplane you fly but try to find a flow that will help keep you from forgetting anything. For the Action step in Pipers I usually just start at the mixture, move up to the fuel pump, and move out to the windows/doors to make sure they're secure. There's not much that's more distracting than having a window pop open halfway through your takeoff roll.
I only use nav lights when it's getting close to dark or when going IFR.
I put the pitot heat on when there is visible moisture present and temperature is below 40 or 45. And I don't turn it off when I pop out of a cloud and then turn it back on after I pop into another one--if we're going to be in and out of the clouds I just leave it on. My CFI likes to flip it off if we've got a 2 minute period of VMC and turn it back on before we get back into the clouds but I find that to be pretty dumb. It takes the thing at least a minute or so to heat up, sometimes a lot longer when it's really cold out and you've got a lot of wind (and not to mention rain or whatever)!
Oh and please don't be the guy that sits there waiting for takeoff at night for 5 minutes with his strobes on while another airplane is sitting right behind him getting blinded by it. Once the next airplane has stopped and I know they see me I might even turn off the beacon out of courtesy if it's actually the red strobe type instead of the older glow or rotating type.
The landing light on my Decathlon has a life of about 20 hrs if not subjected to a jolt on landing when hot so its average life is more like 10 hrs. Parts are cheap but there's enough labour in it that I tell people that it is an extra $10 per hour if they want to use the landing light.
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silverelise they cost about 25 quid a pop and last between 10 - and 20 hours depending what you do with them.
The pitot heaters last a hella of alot longer but its the same thing its all about cost.
Its not uncommon in some schools to have a set of working ones which get swapped back in for a 50 hour then when the aircraft gets back to swap blown ones back in.
In a training environment they get heat cycled every 40 mins you sometimes can be lucky if they last a days flying.
Must admit I never used to turn them on either but if if someone wanted them on I didn't bring the subject up. The school owner if he spotted they were on most certainly would bring the subject up. Most of the time unless there were night ratings in the offing they would be duds anyway.
And on the subject of Nav lights I know you don't have to but they really do help if someone is trying to avoid hitting you if you have them on. Nav lights and strobes work for me day and night.
There is alot of theory out there that it makes you more visible but in reality the landing light has a very small arc in front of the aircraft which it is doing any good and also it is pointing in the direction which you have a very good view of anyway.
Even at night you need to have them working but that doesn't mean you have to use them. I got MOR'd by a tower for landing with them off on a dark stormy night with a cloud base of 001 bkn and RVR of 700m and thick snow falling. If you had them on you could barely see 5m past the nose and the glare was effecting my vision. With them turned off it was fine picked up the approach lights at 300ft and had good visual references for the flare. The company never even heard from the CAA asking to justify my actions so I presume it got to the pilot side of things and was stopped there.
It can be a very emotive subject and to be honest I expect a bit of flak for what I have written. There is no requirement to have them turned on for day VFR in fact quite a few aircraft don't even have them fitted. And the benefits in the grand scope of things are relatively small compared to maintaining a good look out around the full arc that you can see. A fancy high viz paint job on your aircraft is more of a factor than having a working head light.
The pitot heaters last a hella of alot longer but its the same thing its all about cost.
Its not uncommon in some schools to have a set of working ones which get swapped back in for a 50 hour then when the aircraft gets back to swap blown ones back in.
In a training environment they get heat cycled every 40 mins you sometimes can be lucky if they last a days flying.
Must admit I never used to turn them on either but if if someone wanted them on I didn't bring the subject up. The school owner if he spotted they were on most certainly would bring the subject up. Most of the time unless there were night ratings in the offing they would be duds anyway.
And on the subject of Nav lights I know you don't have to but they really do help if someone is trying to avoid hitting you if you have them on. Nav lights and strobes work for me day and night.
There is alot of theory out there that it makes you more visible but in reality the landing light has a very small arc in front of the aircraft which it is doing any good and also it is pointing in the direction which you have a very good view of anyway.
Even at night you need to have them working but that doesn't mean you have to use them. I got MOR'd by a tower for landing with them off on a dark stormy night with a cloud base of 001 bkn and RVR of 700m and thick snow falling. If you had them on you could barely see 5m past the nose and the glare was effecting my vision. With them turned off it was fine picked up the approach lights at 300ft and had good visual references for the flare. The company never even heard from the CAA asking to justify my actions so I presume it got to the pilot side of things and was stopped there.
It can be a very emotive subject and to be honest I expect a bit of flak for what I have written. There is no requirement to have them turned on for day VFR in fact quite a few aircraft don't even have them fitted. And the benefits in the grand scope of things are relatively small compared to maintaining a good look out around the full arc that you can see. A fancy high viz paint job on your aircraft is more of a factor than having a working head light.
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I wonder why (aircraft:-)) landing lights are so short lived? The ones in my car seem to go on forever and they're used in all weathers, on rough bumpy roads as well as being flashed (if you'll excuse the expression). I've heard about people adding resistors in parallel to reduce the initial power surge - so is there a mod we can do to increase their life? It's not necessarily the cost but the inconvenience of having to replace them.
Another advantage of a Permit aircraft is that landing light bulbs can be much cheaper. The GE halogen bulbs from an aircraft spares supplier cost over £15. The same bulbs from B&Q cost £2.50.
Recently, after a long straight in approach with the landing light on, I was told by ATC that they could see the light before they could see the aircraft (remember rich?). I am happy therefore that these bulbs are perfectly adequate and,so far, bulb life has not been a problem.
The experience also encouraged me to use them more often.
Recently, after a long straight in approach with the landing light on, I was told by ATC that they could see the light before they could see the aircraft (remember rich?). I am happy therefore that these bulbs are perfectly adequate and,so far, bulb life has not been a problem.
The experience also encouraged me to use them more often.
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Probably its some bollocks about getting someone to pay to get a new light approved. They really are ****e though.
Not really its the hot cold cycles and high temp which kill them quickest which is maybe why they die so quickly in a training environment. Every student checking they are working, then off and on depending what the local procedure is. Having them on with no airflow over them really screws them so if people turn everything on then take 10 mins doing a walk round its probably worth about 10 hours of flight usage.
If you look at the box they come in I saw one that claimed 100 hours. Its lasted 15 hours of night ratings and cost 50 quid to supply and fit and to be honest they were only really on for the solo work and taxi and a couple of circuits for each student. So worked out at over 5 quid per hour of usage. I can really understand why owners don't want you using them. If you feel you must use them turn them on at 500ft leave them on, then turn them off either on short finals or on the roll out (much as I hate saying that because I don't believe you should be doing anything until you are clear of the runway).
so is there a mod we can do to increase their life
If you look at the box they come in I saw one that claimed 100 hours. Its lasted 15 hours of night ratings and cost 50 quid to supply and fit and to be honest they were only really on for the solo work and taxi and a couple of circuits for each student. So worked out at over 5 quid per hour of usage. I can really understand why owners don't want you using them. If you feel you must use them turn them on at 500ft leave them on, then turn them off either on short finals or on the roll out (much as I hate saying that because I don't believe you should be doing anything until you are clear of the runway).
Avoid imitations
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I got MOR'd by a tower for landing with them off on a dark stormy night with a cloud base of 001 bkn and RVR of 700m and thick snow falling. If you had them on you could barely see 5m past the nose and the glare was effecting my vision. With them turned off it was fine picked up the approach lights at 300ft and had good visual references for the flare. The company never even heard from the CAA asking to justify my actions so I presume it got to the pilot side of things and was stopped there.
Years ago I returned from Germany to Manston (then RAF) in bad weather, in a recently modified RAF Puma. It had one of the first pilot selectable red / white strobe type anti-collision beacons fitted. As I hover taxied in, the tower controller told me I had a red strobe on. I replied "Roger, thanks" and carried on hover taxying. He then immediately replied "turn off your strobe!" I did. He said "Put your anti-collision light on!" I turned the red strobe back on and he immediately said "TURN OFF YOUR STROBE!" I said: "I'll call you on landing."
After we landed, I rang him up and had a further "discussion", during which I explained that the red strobe he was looking at WAS the ONLY anti-collision light fitted and invited him to come down to the aircraft and show me which "other" switches he would like selected.