Most of the aircraft into Heathrow put the landing lights on when the gear comes down at 4 DME.

I say this because the largest number of aircraft into Heathrow are the BA 319/320/321 and normal BA SOP on that fleet is to put them on then.

Tourist - the OP did ask about landing lights but this has now drifted into the 'other' lights'. BA will be religiously sticking the inboards and logo on and off at 10000ft +/-1 ft 'cos it's in the book and the landing lights with the gear as you say.

- thanks heavens for one bit of sense in your post.

I see TypeIV has been unable to answer the question.

As de facto says - turning on any gear mounted taxy light for landing or take-off is NOT a good idea.

Our company, any level change we use landing lights- Day or Night.

So climbing to 410 we will have landing lights on all the way, same for descent. And any step changes.

The only time we don't bother are the 100ft changes going from metric altitudes to imperial.

Also in IMC? Or do you not step in IMC?:E

A320 series are mounted below the wing root and swing down when you switch them on, they cause vibration at 250kts+.

Penko forgive me for being slow.

What is your point?

Landing lights
 

:) Thanks for all your very informative replies, take off rolls and FL100 seems to be the consensus of opinion. Are landing lights on/off part of the checklists? If so then surely there is no discretion. Would ATC raise a problem if on a bright sunny day an aircraft landed with no landing lights on?

Here, lights are not mentioned in any checklist and supposed to be switched by heart.

VIE ATC often has the phrase "Aircraft on Final shall use landing lights" on ATIS, mostly when runways 11 and 16 are in simultaneous use for landing, and one occasionally hears colleagues admonished for travelling in darkness on the radio. Other fields may have their own regulations, for example TRN wants taxiing traffic to display the landing lights as well - they are not exactly strict about this though.

betpump, it just seems to me a bit overkill to switch on your landing lights during every level change. Do you do your flying in an area with known uncontrolled and untransponderd traffic at FL350?

A glance at my TCAS display will tell me more about the traffic situation than landing lights going on and off all around me during the cruise. And when there really is a conflict, you should follow TCAS anyway, ignoring what you see outside.

I agree with you PENKO. And its overkill IMO to keep ldg lights on till 410 when it appears the rest of the world are turning them off at 10'000.

But i am a non management pilot who just wants an easy ride during line checks! It is certainly true in my company that new management pilots tend to fiddle with SOPs just to put their mark on things!

Understood:ok: