Strobes on at stand/gate?

[One9iner]

At Heathrow today I noticed 2 BA 767/777's (bit far away) on the remote T5 stand, sat next to each other, both with doors open, but with their strobes on. I was of the understanding strobes are only turned on, when cleared for take off / turning onto an active runway?

Any ideas?

Thanks.

19er

[DB6]

Getting their daily checks? Engineers will check all the lights.

[BOAC]

Correct xxxxxxxxxxxxx

[Akrapovic]

Seen plenty of people forget to turn them off after landing . .

[Tranceaddict]

Should be on at all times that the engines are running, gives the ground crews an indication that it is safe to approach the aircraft when they are switched off.

[Jumbo Driver]

No, that's not correct. That's what the anti-collision (flashing red) light denotes.

Strobes should only normally be ON from when entering the active runway for take-off until leaving the destination runway area after landing - or of course, as DB6 says, when they are being checked. The nuisance value of having them ON at other times - especially at night - can be considerable.

JD

[HeathrowAirport]

The nuisance value of having them ON at other times - especially at night - can be considerable.

They are amazing going through clouds and + strorms with Lightning.

[BOAC]

For the OP, the check USED (5 years back) to be called a 'Ramp 1' check, carried out roughly daily, and involved, amongst other items, checks of ALL lights.

[parabellum]

No, that's not correct. That's what the anti-collision (flashing red) light denotes.

Under most circumstances that is correct and in the case originally mentioned I am guessing it was an engineers inspection too but I would not hesitate to use strobes in certain airports, like Manila, where apron discipline around 'live' aircraft seems very lax.

[One9iner]

Thanks for your thoughts people.

One would hope for good ramp discipline by the BA chaps and ground staff at T5, and I feel the idea of two aircraft to be sat next to each other on stand, and both to have strobes running due to forgetful pilots to be a completely unrealistic coincidence. (Not that I don't believe strobes can be forgotten about in certain sitations.)

So surely daily checks by the engineers is the most sensible answer.

Many thanks

19er

[PENKO]

Completely unrealistic? Just as probable as two aircraft having their ramp 1 check in unison I would say. Strobes are a memory item during the busiest period of a flight: exiting the runway. And since they have no immediate consequence they are easily forgoten. Pilots are human you know.

[One9iner]

Interesting. So you're telling me if one crew have not remembered to turn their strobes off even after parking, and another crew park their bird nextdoor, the second crew wouldn't notice the other aircraft strobes and quickly double check they've turned theirs off?

To me it would sound quite probable for engineers to carry out checks on two aircraft in the same area of a terminal?

Anyway, my views are purely non pro.

Regards
19er

[mr Q]

what lights (if any !!) form part of the MEL ???
have heard controllers getting non committal replies from pilots as to absence of anti collission lights on night take offs !!

[PENKO]

In the light of this topic, do you mean strobe lights or anticollision lights?
Strobes are not required for night flight in my MEL.

Niner, It's probably the engineers, I'm just saying that it is not completely impossible (as alledged by the previous post)!

[parabellum]

On the Boeings that I have flown the strobes are an after landing memory action, usually initiated after the aircraft has left the runway but followed up by the 'Read and Do' After Landing Checklist.

[Rainboe]

Look don't bang it to death people! It's quite obvious it's a ground check by engineers who leave them on while they go walkabout checking the external. It doesn't do any harm apart from to Pprune threads! Let's not overanalyse like the thread about the SIA A380 which dared to lose an engine and runs to headache level which I am too afraid yo even look at!

[simonchowder]

Well said, its pretty bloody obvious even to me that if two aircraft belonging to the same are company parked next to each other with the doors open (which means their attended) and the strobes are on, then its a fair bet its the engineers carrying out a daily check or whatever check calls for a inspection of all the aircrafts external lights

[One9iner]

I'm with Rainboe on this. The original question has been answered