Nose light switch on Landing: Take off position?

[Keith Discovering]

Does anyone please know of any restriction imposed by Airbus on putting the taxi light to Landing on the approach (a330 / a340)? We've been told that it is is against 'manufacturer guidance', but I can't find it anywhere.

Also, is there a reference from the FAA or JAA on the recommended position of aircraft lights?

Thanks again

[MrBernoulli]

Not wishing to hijack your thread, but in an allied vein I still cannot understand the captains who won't turn on the nosewheel landing light for takeoff or landing but are happy to have the wing-mounted landing lights on. When asked why, they can provide no reason or, for landing, resort to the fatuous "Well, the landing gear is still up so the light won't come on". Yes, I know, Mr Boeing designed it to come on when the gear is extended but it won't if the switch is off. Pathetic.

[westinghouse]

hi,

i havent heard of any restriction on the taxi light. we still put it on. maybe your company is trying to save on some bulbs.
as for the wing light the explanation i got was it makes the plane look nice.
cheers.

[Dehavillanddriver]

Not all Boeing aeroplanes switch the nose gear light/s off when the gear is retracted - on the 737 anyway it is a customer option.

The nose gear is also subject to greater levels of vibration which decreases filament life as compared to the wing root mounted bulbs.

Wing mounted lights are used more to make the aeroplane more visible to others than for illumination - hence the requirement in most companies for the landing lights to be on below 10000 ft and when in holding patterns.

[Back Seat Driver]

FCOM 3.03.18
SOP - ILS Approach
........
........
Exterior Lights............AS RQRD
Set: NOSE switch to TAXI
RWY TURN OFF switch to ON and
LAND switch to ON

Don't know the reason why just TAXI, but it is not my train set and I'm not a 'Test Pilot'

[Hand Solo]

Dunno if its like the 320 but with a take off light but that was tilted about 5deg up so not a lot of point in having it on for landing.

[outofsynch]

I understood the reason for the restriction, is that the takeoff light is aimed higher for takeoff, and therefore illuminates an incorrect aiming point when used for landing.

The takeoff light is also quite a large (expensive) filament, and therefore why give it the landing shock, vibration etc when the LANDING lights should give you all the illumiation you need.

(I am assuming the big buses have the same independent lights like my mini-bus)

[FlightDetent]

My minibus instructor pointed out that for 550 m RVR you could easily lose ground contact as you pitch up in the flare due to light scatter from the NW take-off light. So what was the question again, why to use take-off light for landing?

FD.

[Dani]

You must have an expanded checklist in your company, do you? There it should also state how and when to put on and off your lights.

What does it say?

When you go to Toulouse and learn the "original" Airbus procedures, you put (FCOM 3.03.18)

Exterior Lights ............ set
set NOSE switch to TAXI
RWY TURN OFF switch to ON, and
LAND switch to ON

Since Airbus emphazises the common cockpit philosophy, it wants it to have it on all fleets the same, so A318 to A380 all the same.

Then there are reasons that you want to spare the bulbs and then there are policies in certain companies that lights belong to the CMD. So depending on your company, do what your policy say and try to live with it. There are always strange captains that want strange things. It's not the purpose of the FO to adapt to the Captain but to the correct company procedures. If your CMD wants something else, he must tell it to you.

Dani

[airbus757]

FlightDetent

So what was the question again, why to use take-off light for landing?

At first sight you appear to have something there. Perhaps you could explain why we switch the "landing lights" on for takeoff.

Personally I like to have all the forward illuminating lights on unless I see a reason not to... low vis ops for example.

7

[naceur]

lights

why landing lights on at takeoff
I use all lights for T/O and LDG
may be less in lowvisi

[Swedish Steve]

And please remember that the wing mounted landing lights are designed to illuminate the runway for landing, i.e. they point down.
Last winter I had an A319 Captain snag the landing lights because they were shining on the ground just in front of the aircraft when parked. When I looked at another A319, and it was the same, I twigged that this is how they are designed.

[mcdhu]

The Fcom used to say that the reason for only putting the taxi light to 'Taxi' for landing was .....'to avoid unwanted reflections.' I'm not sure if it still says that.

Cheers,
mcdhu

[FlightDetent]

Originally Posted by airbus757

Perhaps you could explain why we switch the "landing lights" on for takeoff. Personally I like to have all the forward illuminating lights on unless I see a reason not to... low vis ops for example.

So says the manufacturer and when NLG is retracted LL are the only ones left shining. It is the geometry of TO lt that makes the difference i think. There's no reason for TO lt for approach (trajectory -3° is illuminated by LL, NLG has three other bulbs, filament life is reduced) and it could impair visibility during flare. My guess is that the A/C was not certified using TO lt for approach anyway but the other way around.

FD.