Landing lights on
 

I always use landing lights on for take off and switch them off at 300 ft when putting flaps up. I always switch them on again as part of my downwind checks.

I have noticed that I am one of the very few pilots who use landing lights. I find that even on a fine sunny day landing lights are quite visible, and a great "be seen" aid.

Does anyone agree ???

I'm a weekend Air/Ground Radio Operator (and a PPL) and it's a huge help to me in the tower if the landing light is on for final approach. The aircraft is so much easier to see in ALL weather conditions, which improves safety at the airfield.

At one airfield, during my IMC training, my instructor demanded the lights on under 300 feet to scare away the birdies.

Great idea, huh? I put this into practice, during my normal flying.

A few months later, during my revalidation at a different airfield, the CFI reached over and switched the lights off during short finals.

You can't win.

Personally, I reckon it's a good idea on short finals due to: birdies; lost pilots wandering onto the active; farmers; plane-spotters; etc, etc.

Why should less visibility be a good thing?

I always switch 'em on if fitted. I imgine that some clubs could be cost conscious? To hell with the expense..I want to be seen. If its good enough for Airbus Drivers, its good enough for me!

Tailwinds

It seems that the reason behind switching the landing lights off on final during daylight is, I'm told, the bulbs have a longer life. The theory is that jarring the filaments whilst they are hot causes premature failure.

Don't shoot me, I'm just the messenger!

I switch them off passing 1000' when outside circuit and back on when rejoining the circuit since this is a place where I most want people to be able to see me. I dont switch them back off again until I'm clear of the active runway.

Also in bad wx with other possible conflicting traffic nearby I turn everything on to aid the other pilot in spotting me. (Taxi light included!)

Just my tuppence worth !

Regards

UA

If you feel that you need to be seen or to reduce the risk of a birdstrike use the lights i tend not to use them unless i think that they will help.
some aircraft dont have lights so i dont want to use them all the time because some pratt will use "no lights seen "as an excuse for not keeping a good lookout and pulling on to the runway in front of a landing aircraft without lights (perhaps after a total electrical failure).

Sensible's post tallies exactly with what I was taught 600 hrs ago! I must confess that I rarely use the landing lights now because a) my aeroploane doesn't have any and b) when I jump into a different a/c I generally manage to miss it out of my pre-landing checks unless the circuit is busy. I normally fly from a farm strip with v little other traffic BUT if equipped and conscious of other traffic would use lights. I make a big effort to spend as much time looking out through the canopy as possible.

sNr

I have had a few probs with this aswell.

My way of doing it is, if doing ircuits, i switch them on as soon as the engine is on and dont switch them off untill i have dont my after landings, if im not doing circuits, i switch them on when entering the active, and turn them off when i reach cruising alt. When comming in i turn them on as soon as i start the descent to the feild and dont turn em off till i do me after landings.

Whilst i was in barbados, my instructor and i were doing some low level stuff and used irregular flashings off them to make a low level helicopter see us, and he did, but only cos of me landing lights. The problem is my instructor at home tends to say switch them off, my veiw is id rather spend a little on bulbs than not be seen, i was once told to turn my nav lights off too! And theres me thinking (after doing air law) that nav lights are a legal requirment, i must be wrong!

Rusty

A few years ago I started to revalidate my licence at an airfield near Welwyn Garden City and was instructed to switch off the anti collision light in case the owner saw it on and gave the instructor a jolly good telling off.

Last lesson there then!!! I went elsewhere to revalidate

I was taught for my IMC on takeoff - TPLXC

T - Time (Make a note of it)
P - Pitot Heat
L - Landing Light
X - X wind (Within Limits)
C - Comfortable (Heat/Seatbelts position etc)

Works well

I switch landing light on in pre-take-off cxs, and leave that and taxi on throughout the flight, not turning landing off until I vacate. Nav lights I only use in half light or less, often in winter. It's nice to see people a way off before you're on top of them.

I always have the landing lights on below about 3000' VFR to help avoid collisions. To me the cost of a bulb is insignificant to the safety benefit. Today was a perfect example - hot sunny day, everyone, including gliders up, and haze into sun. I just wish that a few of the people I met coming the other way had put theirs on - I could have seen them earlier and given them a wider berth.

When I had an ac with lights I always used them in the circuit or when there were hazy conditions. Anti-collision light was always on. Now I don't have any electrics I rely on the yellow colour scheme and Mark 1 Eyeball to keep me out of trouble.

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When the wheels stop turning you're high enuff. CubTrek. To slowly go...

I switch mine on when I line up, and off when clear of the runway. I have always been told to switch off after vacating and I generally do so. When rejoining, I always switch on when I'm listening to the ATIS (after being told that that is too soon - but when I forgot entirely after thinking of it when listening to the ATIS I decided it's better early than never!)

Good on ya Newbloke! Don't let anyone tell you to compromise safety.

Leave 'em on all the time in the circuit. I was flying last night, a bit murky, 3 in the circuit plus me. 2 had strobes, one didn't. Never saw the one that didn't until he was on the runway as I was downwind. Strobes are great - landing lights are only visible when someone is pointing straight at you, useless when converging.

To the list of useless things (runway behind you, fuel in the bowser etc) add "lights that are switched off"

You might also add "Chocks Wahay in the left hand seat", but that's another matter!

If you've got them use them. The airlines (even the most cost conscious) always use taxi lights for taxying and landing or taxi lights for take off and final approach, even in daylight, and that is in a controlled environment. There is even more justification at uncontrolled aerodromes.

At night you should not leave the landing lights on during the cruise as this could conflicct with the ANO requirement to show a white light to the rear (not the front)

I am thinking about building a kit aircraft. Since PFA aircraft cannot fly at night it seems inappropriate to fit a landing light. A powerful set of wing tip strobes will be on my shoping list though.

put em' on...
I agree.......
doesn't cost anything & it might just
prevent a mid air bump,
+ it helps the ATC folk,
let there be light...as they say...

keep safe,


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todays thought...
who tested Orville &
Wilbur Wright for their type rating & base checks ??? *****

I have 2500 hours, 1800 Heavy Jet, the rest on light a/c with about 500 hours instructing.

I went with a PPL friend who was doing a check out on an Archer at an airfield near us and I sat in the back. As I havn't flown a light a/c for about a year I asked if I could have a go at a few circuits, so we did a running change.

It was a hazy/murky day so I put my landing light on for take off (as I was always taught and always taught myself) and was severly rebuked as it was more likely to blow the bulb and they were expensive.

What price safety?

(I was also a bit pissed off as there was no professional respect at all!!)

The airfield is in Hertfordshire. I asked them what I needed to do to get checked out and they required 5 hours. It was only 2 1/2 years ago that I was instructing!!

They are crooks.

Sorry for departing from the controlled flight of this interesting thread, but couldn't help noticing 2 references above to an airfield in Herts which sounds suspiciously like the one where I did my first lesson, then quit in disgust and did the course very happily elsewhere with mucho spelendido instructors (even the minority of them who could strictly speaking be classed as hour builders loved flying and pilot-making at least as much as they loved right seats in Go 737s), also lovely aircraft that had actually been near a spanner quite a lot in the recent past. Do any of you think these ancestral rumours about a mighty elephant's graveyard for the world's most crocked PA-28s located somwehere near the A10 might be true?