Which Light When In Aircraft Systems?

Aircraft Visibility

The following lighting systems are intended to reduce the potential of collision, by making the aircraft more visible to other aircraft while in flight and to ground traffic while maneuvering

on an aerodrome:

• Navigation Lights - Navigation lights consist of a red light on the left/port wing tip, a green light on the right/starboard wing tip and a white light on the aircraft tail. These lights indicate that there is life inside the aircraft and also it’s the first light the pilot turns on upon entering the cockpit.

• Beacon - The aircraft beacon lights are red in colour and either flash or rotate to provide a pulsating warning light. They are normally installed in pairs with one on the top of the fuselage and the other on the bottom. The beacon must be turned on prior to engine start (push back) and turned off after engines have been shut down.

• Strobe Lights - When installed, strobe lights are usually positioned near the trailing edge of the wing tips and may also be installed on the tail of the aircraft. Strobes are high intensity white lights which flash at a regular interval. They must be turned on when entering an active runway for takeoff and turned off when leaving the runway after landing. Strobes can also be used to provide additional visibility when crossing an active runway during ground manoevering. (Note: In many cases, the strobe light switch will have an AUTO position which will result in activation and deactivation of the lights based on weight on wheels)

Pilot Visibility

Pilot visibility through the flight deck windows is greatly improved by the following external lights:

• Taxi Lights - Taxi lights are medium intensity lights which may be mounted on the nose landing gear strut, in the aircraft nose or at the wing roots. They are used to provide illumination of the taxiway during ground operations and generally turned on before starting taxi.

• Runway Turnoff Lights - Turnoff lights are similar to taxi lights except they are either mounted on an angle pointing to the left and right of the aircraft nose or inner side of the wings. These lights will illuminate taxiways or obstacles on either side of the aircraft. They are generally turned on nighttime.

• Landing Lights - Landing lights are high intensity lights used to illuminate the runway surface for takeoff and landing and also to facilitate the aircraft being seen by other pilots. These lights may be wing, landing gear strut or fuselage mounted. Depending upon the regional norm, landing lights are either switched on when entering the active runway or upon receipt of takeoff clearance. Landing lights are normally turned off as the aircraft climbs through 10,000' and are turned on again as it descends through 10,000' on approach.

• Wing Inspection Lights - Wing inspection lights are mounted in the fuselage and are aimed to illuminate the leading edge of the wing and the engine pylons. They are often used during hours of darkness for aircraft preflight inspection and for illumination during engine start. They can be used in flight on an "as required" basis, often to see if there is any accretion of ice on the leading edge of the wing.

Specific Purpose Lighting

• Logo Lights - Logo lights are generally mounted on the upper surface of the horizontal stabilizer and are aimed to illuminate the Company markings on the tail of the aircraft. Turned on nighttime flights