Airport Lighting

Question 1

When are airport beacons operated?

Answer 1

From dusk until dawn. Also when weather conditions fall below VFR minimums, although this is not a requirement.

Question 2

Between what angles are airport beacons most effective?

Answer 2

1-10 deg

Question 3

What is the airport beacon for a civilian land airport?

Answer 3

Flashing white and green.

Question 4

What is the airport beacon for a water airport?

Answer 4

Flashing white and yellow.

Question 5

What is the airport beacon for a heliport?

Answer 5

Flashing white, yellow, and green.

Question 6

What is the airport beacon for a military airport?

Answer 6

Flashing two white and a green.

Question 7

What are approach light systems?

Answer 7

Lights before and leading to the runway threshold. Sometimes flash like a ball of light heading toward the runway.

Question 8

Name the 4 types of visual glideslope indicators, and expand any acronyms. List the number and arrangment of lights, and also how each works.

Answer 8

VASI: visual approach slope indicator

2 bars of 2 lights. Above glidepath: WW/WW. On glidepath: WW/RR. Below glidepath: RR/RR.

Tri-Color VASI:

Single light. Above: amber. On glidepath: green. Slightly below glidepath: Dark amber. Below glidepath: red.

Pulsating VASI:

Single light. Above: Pulsating white. On glidepath: white. Slightly below: red. Below: pulsating red.

PAPI: precision approach path indicator

One row of 4 red/white lights. Above: WWWW. Slightly above: WWWR. On glidepath: WWRR. Slightly below: WWWR. Below: RRRR.

Question 9

What are REIL?

Answer 9

Runway end identifier lights. Two flashing lights located laterally on each side of runway threshold. Could be omnidirectional or unidirectional facing the approach area.

Question 10

What are runway end lights?

Answer 10

Lights that border the beginning and end of runways. They are green facing outward and red facing inward.

Question 11

What are runway edge lights?

Answer 11

Row of white lights on either side of the runway. Three catagories: HIRL, MIRL, LIRL. These are white lights except for instrument approach runways where the last 2000 ft or halfway down the runway, whatever is first, is amber.

Question 12

What is a RCLS?

Answer 12

Runway centerline lighting system. Installed on some precision approach runways. Spaced at 50ft intervals. Lights are white until the last 3000 ft of runway, when they start to alternate right and red until the last 1000 ft, where they are all red.

Question 13

What are TDZL?

Answer 13

Touchdown zone lights. Two rows of transverse light bars disposed symmetrically about the runway centerline. They start 100 ft beyond the landing threshold and extend to 3000 ft beyond the landing threshold or halfway down the runway, whatever is first.

Question 14

What are taxiway centerline lead off lights/ lead on lights?

Answer 14

Alternate green and yellow lights, beginning with green, from the runway centerline to one centerline light position beyond the runway holding position or ILS critical area holding position.

Question 15

What are LAHSO lights?

Answer 15

Land and hold short operation lights. Row of pulsating white lights across the runway at hold short position. On when LAHSO is in effect, off when not in effect.

Question 16

What are omnidirectional taxiway lights?

Answer 16

Outline the edge of the taxiway and are blue. Some airports have taxiway centerline lights that are green.

Question 17

What are clearence bar lights?

Answer 17

Lights at holding positions on taxiway. Three steady buringing yellow lights.

Question 18

What are runway guard lights?

Answer 18

Pair of flashing yellow lights on either side of the taxiway, or a row of in pavement yellow lights across the entire taxiway at runway holding position.

Question 19

What are stop bar lights?

Answer 19

Row of red, unidirectional, steady burning in pavement lights across the entire taxiway with elevated steady burining red lights on each side. Once ATC clearence is issued, these lights are turned off and the lead on lights are turned on.

Question 20

What are obstruction lights?

Answer 20

Red obstruction lights either flash or burn steady during nightime. The obstruction is painted orange and white for daytime operations.

High intensity white obstruction lights flash white during the day and night.

Some obstructions have both red obstruction lighting for nightime operations, and high intensity white lights for daytime operations.