Ils landing lights

[pigi]

Hi to everybody,
I'm a rotorcraft IR pilot and I switch on my landing lights when established on ILS. I was told to do that and that's what I do.
Is there any written rule about that? or something compulsory about using the landing lights on ifr approaches ( FAA or JAA)?
Tks for your help
Piergiorgio

[Tunfisk]

Hello.

In my company, we turn the landing lights on when cleared to land.
Our Phrase is "Cleared to land, lights on, gear down"

I don't see any wrong doings about turning them on when established on the ILS.

[AerocatS2A]

We turn them on through 10,000'. The point being to make yourself more visible in the terminal area.

[rhythm method]

Our Phrase is "Cleared to land, lights on, gear down"

I hope that is just a visual check that everything is in place to land... being cleared to land at 300ft doesn't give much time to dangle the Dunlops (not to mention that irritating 'gringo' shouting "Too Low, Gear!"

[A37575]

We turn them on through 10,000'

How things have changed throughout the years. Landing lights were designed for night use. To be switched on just before rolling on the take off run and switched off within seconds of landing gear retraction. One of the reasons for early switching off after lift off was to minimise the blinding reflection entering cloud and distracting the crew. Modern pilots obviously are not affected by lights reflecting back into the cockpit. That is a good thing.

For landing, the landing lights were turned on at 200 feet just before crossing the threshold. They were used to illuminate the runway surface. To aid judgement of flare height. To illuminate drunks or animals on the runway. In fog or mist the landing lights were off for landing to prevent being blinded momentarily if the aircraft was passing through ground fog patches. Pilots were taught to be able to land without the aid of landing lights because landing lights can go u/s. The life of the light globes were based upon the above rate of usage.

In later years, someone thought it would be a Good Thing to turn on the lights below 10,000 ft regardless of being a bright sunny day or a pitch black night in cloud. Ooh! look, sez observers on the ground - I can see aeroplane lights high in the sky. Aren't they luverly? They are certainly no help to pilots at 10,000 ft...

Already, airliners are festooned with strobes, tail advertising logo lights and passenger window lights. Seems an overkill having landing lights all over the sky below 10,000 ft.

[pigi]

Yep, but the question was: is there any written rule or it's just a good habit?
Tks
Piergiorgio

[Luckyguy]

Good habit ?

Some call it airmanship.......

I believe that the thought behind turning the landing lights on below 10,000' was two-fold.
The first is to make the aircraft visible to other aircraft in the radar vectoring area/terminal area, whatever you may call it. It is possibly of slightly less usefulness these days with the advent of new generation ACAS systems but nonetheless, on a personal note gives me a warm feeling that I can confirm the position of the aircraft in conjunction with the ACAS display.

The second is detailed in an Airbus operational briefing notes here:
http://www.airbus.com/fileadmin/medi..._ENV-SEQ05.pdf

It has always been for that reason that I have left them on until, and turned them on at, 10,000'.

For all the good reasons that have been pointed out already, turning them off a times is prudent too.

Hope this helps.

[BOAC]

written rule

- not in regs, but company rules may impose. Otherwise 'as you like it'.

[con-pilot]

We turn them on through 10,000'. The point being to make yourself more visible in the terminal area.

This is mostly standard in the US, the lights are not used to improve the pilot's vision, duh, but as an anti-collision aid. It has been firmly established that aircraft with landing lights on are much easier to see, no matter the time of day or night.

This was confirmed by studies by NASA, The Flight Safety Foundation, United States Air Force and the FAA.

I turned on the landing lights on during the descent every aircraft I flew at 10,000 feet as long as I can remember, and that's a long time.

Also the lights are on for takeoff and turned off leaving 10,000 feet on the climb.

[deefer dog]

Day: ON between 0 and 10,000 ft
Night: ON when SAT is warmer than minus 40 degrees

[BOAC]

It has been firmly established that aircraft with landing lights on are much easier to see, no matter the time of day or night.

- which is why I used to put them on when I judged them necessary - eg crossing the London TMA in descent well above 10k. There are far more important checks to be done at 10k than 'lights' which used to be the F/O's first priority

[Suzeman]

Not cockpit crew but I seem to remember that switching on the landing lights during the day on the ILS became the norm in the UK during the 1970s.

I was told that this was to aid conspicuity and also acted as a deterrent to birds flying near the aircraft

Suzeman

[flyburg]

I may be wrong but isn't it even a FAR in the states to turn them on below 10.000?

[autoflight]

Landing lights saved mid-air between RAAF Caribou and a USN Crusader in 1965 while en-route at 100ft AGL in really rotten weather. We each saw the other's lights and turned right just in time. Operational pressure had our Caribou there but I could never figure why any other aircraft would need to be right there. Nevertheless, that particular risk was considered greater than indicating our position more acurately to enemy ground forces.

In nearly 40 years of flying I believe this is the only case where landing lights on saved my life. I figure just making it safer is worthwhile, so I'm so far ahead on the deal.

Every pilot should not have to learn by experience. Unless your company has some other procedure for lights, landing lights on below 10,000 ft is a no-brainer.

[Helen49]

I think Suzeman is right and Aer Lingus were probably among the first to use landing lights for this purpose back in the 70's.

[nitpicker330]

For what it's worth in CX we switch on the LDG LTS for all the climb and all the descent day or night. Bit silly in daytime really, by the time you see my lights it'll be too late!!

[con-pilot]

Bit silly in daytime really, by the time you see my lights it'll be too late!!

No, it is not a "bit silly". For anti-collision benefits, the use of landing lights during daylight is very effective.

[A37575]

For anti-collision benefits, the use of landing lights during daylight is very effective.

Why not go the whole hog? Give the window seat passengers high powered LED flashlights in their seat nets and below 10,000 ft get them to shine the lights through their nearest window. The whole aircraft is then lit up like a Christmas Tree. Turn on the wing de-ice illumination and wheel well lights while you are there. Cockpit overhead lights could be turned right up and even the moveable map light could be turned to focus outside the side windows.

All these are splendid ideas to enhance collision avoidance and if explained to the passengers as part of the safety briefing I am sure they would be willing participants

[Pheasant Plucker]

If you look on the 'Ann-Summers' website you will find a whole different use for 'landing lights'

FYI this was brought to the attention of us innocents at a certain control centre 'north of the border' when one of our colleagues inadvertantly dropped a receipt with a long list of items on it, one of which was 'landing lights'.

Being somewhat naive we Googled it...and got...er... a surprise

I'd be a bit worried if you got 'turned on' at 8 miles after switching on these

[Golf-Sierra]

A37575 & Pheasant Plucker

Yeah, just imagine that - CC ask PAX to switch on and hold their landing lights in the windows. Hilarious