Centreline lighting - left or right of the line ?
 

Anyone know what dictates whether runway centerline lights are put to the left or right of the centerline marking ?

Depends on which direction you are landing!

Excellent answer, Bergerie1 :)




coldair

Did someone really ask that? :ugh:

That's OK. It's early.

Always wondered why some nails have the head on the wrong end.
My dad said they were for the other side of the house.

Come on, you know what I mean. It's a genuine question. Regardless of which way you're looking at them, is there a reason for them to go on one side or the other ? I seem to remember that they have to be within .8m of the centreline but which side ?

buzz
I say again, it depends on which way you are landing (or taking-off). Since most runways are used in both directions, I am sure you can see the issue.

I don't know about lateral displacement but I do know that they shouldn't protrude more than 16mm from the surface. :ok:

In homage to Paul Daniels, "Not a lot of people know that"

Ok, let me start again Bergerie. I'm well aware that the lights will APPEAR to the left or right from the perspective of someone standing at one end or the other. That's pretty obvious and quite clearly not what Im getting at.
Let me ask it in a different way. Let's take a runway, 27/09. On this runway the lights are on the south side of the centerline, and will always be on the south side whichever way you approach it. My question is ; is there a reason to put the lights on the south side rather than the north or is it random ?
Not sure how else I can ask the same question.....

Always wondered why some nails have the head on the wrong end.
My dad said they were for the other side of the house.

The ones with the heads on the top are for the floor; the ones with the heads on the bottom are for the ceiling. Everybody knows that.

Nobody has mentioned Corollas yet; nor north/south hemisphere. Could it be the left/right political bent of the airport manager.
I always remember one pain in the ar&e captain who demanded I keep it on the centreline for takeoff. I did so and we went 'dunk, bunk, thump, dunk, down the runway. I shifted it a foot off the noise and was berated. After takeoff I called, "95". He was confused and I said, "the number of centreline lights we just flattened." Perhaps I should have used the white paint, not the lights.

buzz,
Now that is an interesting question! I have never noticed whether they are on the south or the north side. Can anyone enlighten us?

Hi buzzc152,
If you have parallel runways, then you put the lights towards the "inside" of the centreline so the power cables are shorter.

See LHR27L.png
& LHR27R.png

thanks to Google Earth.

Within 2 feet of the centerline is the rule in the states. I am unaware of an FAA or ICAO standard about which side, however I have been told the Australians prefer the left side of center on the most frequently used landing direction - obviously in locations with a prevailing wind.

In Scotland the rule is nearest to the power source - to save on wire. :}

Seem to remember a similar thread a long time ago and one poster suggested the lighting was located on the side closest/furthest away from where the (original) Control Tower was located. Australian instance.
Fact, fiction, urban myth. I don't think the issue was resolved then either.
All I know is that some FO's have an uncanny ability to hit every one on a takeoff roll. I could not do it if I tried!

Heard for years that, in general, it's on the side away from the tower.

Something to look for.

Hitting them on takeoff roll - years ago, on a Dash 7, the Captain would line up with the nose wheels straddling the lights. PNF would estimate how many were hit on the takeoff roll and a $0.10 contribution per light went into the beer fund for that night.

They're not offset but always on the centreline.
The Trident airliner was designed for use in Cat 3 conditions and it was so accurate that they designed the nosewheel offset so that it didn't hit the centreline lights when carrying out an autoland.

I was under the impression that the avionics at the time took up so much space the nosewheel had to be moved off to the side to fit it all in.

My bad if I'm wrong.

I did add a smiley; don't know if I'm right or you are but that's the story I was told!

Boy some here have a lot of excess brain capacity...........:sad:

Worry about important stuff.....:ok: