Pilot Controlled Lighting - UK

[IO540]

It wouldn't be long before some berk started using PCL for starting his central heating or sending burst transmissions to a fax machine, so the bureaucratic mind just says, "No!".

I hardly think so, given the number of remote control options on the market already. Nobody is going to be clicking on some air frequency to control his central heating. And if he really wanted to, nobody could stop him; all he needs is an Icom radio and a simple decoder on the headset socket

I am sure the only reason PCL is banned here is because the CAA are too scared to do anything innovative in case there is some sort of comeback, no matter how highly theoretical. Their lawyers probably told them that if the un-ban it, and somebody crashes at night when the system packs up, the CAA will get sued.

This is of course bollox, but if you ask a lawyer (paid by the hour) if there is a liability his answer will nearly always be Yes, and the lawyers working for the CAA are all of the same character profile (a #1 Pozi screwdriver stuck up their sphincter would never fall out under gravity).

Exactly the same reason why Lyco won't amend their 1960s engine menagement writings to support LOP operation.

[Cusco]

I'd dearly love to have PCL at our strip and would be very happy for it to be restricted to base a/c only.

But the lights wouldn't last five minutes at the hands of the local yobs....

[Agaricus bisporus]

Nobody is going to be clicking on some air frequency to control his central heating. And if he really wanted to, nobody could stop him;

Read through that again slowly. It is a logical nonsense.
Beyond that, your airy dismissal of the law on the basis that "no one can stop them" (Oh really? Why not?) is in diametric contradiction to your assumption that nothing can be done because of some completely fictitious "liability".

Sorry you seem to swallow all that twaddle about liability, it's one of the worst diseases crippling our society at present. One day we'll realise that even lawyers can't do things that are beyond their powers and we can all get on with the rest of our lives unhindered by imaginary and self-imposed restrictions. May it come soon.

As I suggested above, had you troubled to read it, the CAA do not regulate the electromagnetic spectrum. Surprise-Surprise OFCOM do that! The restriction below is neither imaginary nor imposed by the CAA.
UK Interface Requirement 2052

See table 3.1, elements 3 and 4
That's where it says PCL isn't licenced here.

[mark147]

Hotel Mama and others, the "truth" is very simple. The VHF a/g frequencies are allocated (by whoever allocates the electromagnetic spectrum, ie not the CAA) for voice comms only. PCL is signalling which (surprise!) is a different classification to voice, ergo; illegal.

If that were true, would it not make the 'speechless code' illegal also? (you know, 1 click=yes, 2 clicks=no, 3 clicks=say again etc. for use in case of microphone failure). Red herring I think. It's just the CAA doesn't want to allow it.

[Spitoon]

Originally Posted by mark147

If that were true, would it not make the 'speechless code' illegal also? (you know, 1 click=yes, 2 clicks=no, 3 clicks=say again etc. for use in case of microphone failure). Red herring I think. It's just the CAA doesn't want to allow it.

Emergency procedures are different from routine operation inaccordance with the relevant regulgations. Agaricus bisporus has given you all the details about why it is not permitted in the UK. What is interesting is why some other countries allow it despite international regulations to the contrary.

[S-Works]

Just out of interest how much does it cost to install the equipment that would upgrade bog standard lighting like we have in the UK to PCL.

About £200. Ours uses and aviation band scanner tuned to a frequency and responds on 5 clicks to activate a relay that switches a 110v transformer, has worked fine for over a decade.

[mm_flynn]

Originally Posted by Agaricus bisporus

See table 3.1, elements 3 and 4
That's where it says PCL isn't licenced here.

???

Out of curiosity how does element 3/4 say keying your analogue voice mic on an aviation transmitter 5 times is not an authorised use (and having a machine that counts the number of carrier on /offs in any 10 second period is also illegal?)

The only rule I have seen that seems to relate to this question is the CAAs refusal to grant the PCL capability to licenced aerodromes other than for the specific use of the emergency services (so maybe there is a table 3.1ES that specifically modifies 3.1 3/4 if it is an emergency service user???)

[dublinpilot]

The VHF a/g frequencies are allocated (by whoever allocates the electromagnetic spectrum, ie not the CAA) for voice comms only. PCL is signalling which (surprise!) is a different classification to voice, ergo; illegal.

What if you had a lighting system that simply came on if any voice transmittion on the frequnecy lasting longer than 3 seconds (to avoid random interference).

So you announce on the airfield frequency that you're inbound from the west, and when you get there the lights have already been turned on! No illegal signaling....just normal radio calls.

[twelveoclockhigh]

We used to have ours connected to a phone switch and turned them off and on by DTMF tones. worked very well.

The latest aerodrome lights are solar powered and come on automatically.

Solar Aviation Lighting, Solar Airfield Lighting, Solar Airport Lighting | Solar Aviation Lighting.com for example.

[MR.X99]

Wow! I did not realize this. I no runway lights,$50 for every "touch & go"

Need aerospace reform in the UK or have it run out of Brussels. That should be law,just like having lights on your car.

What an embarrassing aerospace fact.

[Mickey Kaye]

Is there anywhere in europe that has PCL?

Will it be legal if and when the UK joins EASA?

[Sir George Cayley]

Never even heard of the OFCOM document.

However, saying that it stops PCL doesn't appear to stand up. CAP 168 Chapter 6 has already been cited as the reason GA can't use PCL, but the Emergency Services can.

It's been common practice for Police Air Support Units to operate PCL outside ATC hours, some at licensed airports. In order to facilitate this a discrete frequency is allocated (and kept secure) via I presume OFCOM.

Is there a general exemption ?

Sir George Cayley

[Agaricus bisporus]

If people fail to see why that OFCOM reference covers it I can only think that it was a very long time since they did aviation law. It clearly states that the frequency band is authorised for AGA voice traffic and ACARS under defined parameters. Clearly any other use is not authorised, and blipping the carrier five times to switch a lighting system is nmanifestly neither voice comms or ACARS. What is hard to understand about that?

So Police use it - they've got an exemption and we haven't, though I'd be surprised if there were any discrete frequencies spare in our crowded aircraft VHF band. Do they use air band, or a seperate transmitter on another band? If its airband there'll be nothig very "secure" about it - does that mean "secret"?

And I think it is also clear that the CAA have no wish for this to become commonplace for whatever reason so there is no incentive for them to relax their stance. It just ain't going to happen here.

[mm_flynn]

The police do use the normal airband, it is 'secret' at my local field in that it is not published, but your normal Com box will activate it if keyed on the right frequency.

And I think it is also clear that the CAA have no wish for this to become commonplace for whatever reason so there is no incentive for them to relax their stance. It just ain't going to happen here.

Quite probably true. However, must of us wonder Why CAA/OFCOM choose to regulate against this capability (as well as several other modern technologies), which have decades of proven implementation in other countries, improve utility and likely have a positive safety advantage (more common night flight, thus higher currency, more diversion airfields, etc.).

It is just another one of those annoying features where our safety regulator chooses to restrict utility for no benefit (other than jobs for the boys turning lights on after hours).

PS

Your logic also seems to imply that the double click acknowledgement on short final and the speechless code are also not authorised as they are neither voice coms nor ACARS and in fact are very similar to signaling

[Spitoon]

And I think it is also clear that the CAA have no wish for this to become commonplace for whatever reason so there is no incentive for them to relax their stance. It just ain't going to happen here.

In my experience, the CAA are quite open to changing policy and rules where they can when presented with a reasoned and sound argument for the proposal. But 'It happens elsewhere' ain't going to cut it. The CAA is interested in assuring safety - PCL does present some hazards (none of which are unmanageable). If anyone really wants PCL, why not present a good case for allowing it rather than going around in circles on an internet forum?

[IO540]

Presumably if you want to do this at a public airfield then you can't keep it low-profile so the CAA would have to be approached.

If indeed they would care - would they?? I somehow don't think they would prosecute. I suspect that, more likely, the airfield owner would not want it for fear of the lights going out when somebody is on short final and crashes on the go-around (a climb into total blackness, on instruments). The UK is full of people who would worry about that, and looking at the calibre of some pilots, who can blame some of them?

Private strip owners can do what they like. They won't have their own VHF frequency anyway so they would use any of the existing radio control solutions on the market.

[BackPacker]

The police do use the normal airband, it is 'secret' at my local field in that it is not published, but your normal Com box will activate it if keyed on the right frequency.

There are 720 or so frequencies in the Aeronautical VHF band (assuming 25 kHz spacing). Five clicks = five seconds, then try the next frequency. So trying all frequencies takes 3600 seconds, give or take. That's one hour at most to find the right frequency. Although you might want to share the workload between a few pilots or you'll end up with a seriously sore finger.

But my guess would be that their secret frequency would somehow be "one-off" from any of the frequencies they normally use, for ease of remembering and selecting. That would reduce the number of frequencies to try to maybe 24 or so.

(A hackers mind is a joy forever...)

[Agaricus bisporus]

IO540 gave a pointer there, I think. Private strip owners doing what they like -such as buying PCL sets and setting them to any old frequency because they don't have an allocated one, and causing interference with who knows what else uses that freq. The inability to control that alone would give the CAA good reason to say no. And you bet the CAA prosecute illegal use of frequencies causing interference with legal users.

Bit embarassing if you picked the same freq as the police base though, and your farm strip lights up lke a christmas tree every time they want to land, and vice-versa.

[IO540]

And you bet the CAA prosecute illegal use of frequencies causing interference with legal users.

They will have to notice it first, which they won't. Every radio frequency has tons of interference on it, here and there. A private strip will have hardly any use at night, and it is a piece of cake to find a frequency not used by any known airport; there is a website listing allocated frequencies for the UK and probably Europe.

Not suggesting anybody does this though, because there is little point. Google on
sms remote control
and you will get the idea. There are loads of products and sms does work at low altitudes. It takes very little interaction with the phone to do this; just store a template message in some folder and send it when you want the lights on. I have such a box right here, enabling me to control the ADSL equipment at a remote location, to reset it when needed. It cost me about £200 and that included adding a big relay to switch a higher current than the built-in one.

[S-Works]

MPT1320 Licence exempt walkie talkies as used by bikers etc. Scanner to listen to the frequency also licence exempt. PCL circuitry recognises a specific series of clicks. In the case of ours it is 5 clicks in a specific timing.

Never fired up by interference nor failed to fire up. We can assign any frequency that the scanner can 'hear' this includes air and ground bands.

But the MPT licence exempt is the best way to go for those looking for an excuse to find illegality in use. It is also more reliable than an SMS. We don't get a mobile service in the air around our place, in fact we barely get one on the ground......