Radio controlled landing lighting
 

Can anyone help with: advice; suppliers; pitfalls; and stories of radio-controlled landing light system such is available at some aerodromes.

I would like to be able to light up the dispersal area next to the hangar when returning after dark - got the lights... just need the 'electrickery bit' (and maybe licensing for the frequency?).

Much obliged
OMB

Have just bought one for our helipad

pm me for further details as I wouldn't want to be seen advertising;-)

If you want to do the job cheaply, a garage door opener should work for this. Instead of connecting the opener to the doors, you connect it to the lights. You need an extra piece of equipment in the helicopter (the remote) but the cost is minimal. If you want to use the VHF radio to key the lights, it will cost you much more, but you should always have the radio available. Your choice.

Intuative
 

Gomer,

I like your thinking.

Is this something you have already tried ? I would be interested to know what the range is.

The helipad is in a 'relatively' remote location, so putting the lights on early would also aid navigation [read as "not land in a neighbours garden by mistake" !]

OMB

we made some of these a few years ago for a company in london its quite easy really from the electrics side of this you will need a relay for the radio side of this you will need a reciever that recieves air band transmitions and either a tone burst generator or a circuit that would receive a set number of mike press,es to activate the relay

the grey area is if you transmit on air band even if you dont speak you may stop others using their own legitimate frequency

you could use a separate legal frequency walky talky type radios but the range would be no more than 2 miles at best

either way it definatly possible for minimal cost

steve

Steve,

Thanks also for the suggestions - any chance of a few more details ?

Would you still have (or can get access to) plans ? If so I could get a local sparky to knock something up.

Preferable solution would be for the VHF in order to get the range - is selection of frequency a question of common sense or would I need to contact Radio Licensing agency for frequency allocation ?

All advice gratefully received.

OMB

The airfield on Bute has an RT operated lighting system, which I think works on the Safetycom frequency.

I don't have any contact details to hand, but expect they can be found in one of the airfield guides such as AFE or Pooleys, should you wish to ask them about their system.

Shoreham airport also have Radio frequency controlled lighting, give them a ring.

I'm sure they'd be able to help, and if not try the Sussex Police Helicopter Unit may have some more info (I think they are the only users of it, operating after the airport is closed).

PCL Pilot Controlled Lighting
 

I have a PCL at my home base connected to amber landing lights that have helped keep me out of trouble on more than 1 occasion.
If you buy in the UK you are looking at £6000 or so.
I bought over the internet in the UK - cost was less than $1000 including the lights and a few spare bulbs.
Easy to install - 7 clicks to activate to a one second on one second off flash , another 5 clicks and it stays on permanently.
I am sure I need several licences for this and that the CAA would take a very dim view - tut, tut!
Please pm me for the details - I have no financial interest here.
SB:cool:

PCL
 

Sorry it should read "I bought over the internet in the US"

I use a telephone pager to switch on and switch off my landing lights. Works by phoning the pager number which goes through an automatic response systen to pass a message to the pager which in turn activates the landing lights relay. One call to switch 'on' and later, must be more than 3 minutes a further call switches them off. reat system, but I believe that pagers are on the way out so it might not now be the way to go.

We do have radio control of the lights at Shoreham for the police unit to use but they use a police frequency to activate them. Being the police everything had to be squeaky clean with the CAA, they wouldn't let the normal Shoreham frequencies be used, someone unauthorised might play with it, and a discreet frequency was almost impossible to get from the Radio Agency, thus the use of a Home Office freq.

I expect a competant sparky could install one of these - which you control by text message.