PATTS COLLEGE OF AERONAUTICS

BS Aircraft Maintenance Technology

Airport Lighting System

TITLE

Presented to

Jeankei A. Ramos, MEAM

BS Aircraft Maintenance Department

PATTS COLLEGE OF AERONAUTICS
Lombos Avenue, Brgy. San Isidro, Paranaque City

In Partial fulfillment
of the requirements for the subject of

Airports and Airways Engineering

AMTE 426

By

CARANDANG, Benedict J.

Date

10/18/2022

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Fundamentals of Airport Lighting System:

- Airport lighting systems provide a standardized layout of positional lights and

colors for pilots to reference both in the air and on ground.

- Airport lighting helps the pilot locate and define the runway and airport

environment.

- Airport lighting is not continuous at airports with minimal traffic in order to

save money when not in use.

- Airport lighting may be either continuous or variable, depending on traffic/use.

- In addition to surface airport lighting, lighting systems for the purpose of

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obstacle identification and avoidance is provided where necessary.

Airport and Heliport Beacons:

- Airport and heliport beacons aid in locating airports and heliports in low light.

- The beacon might be an omnidirectional capacitor-discharge device or it could

rotate at a steady pace to simulate periodic flashes.

- Flashes can rotate between one or two colors.

- For airports, landmarks, and locations on federal airways, 24–30 flashes per

minute are used.

- For heliports, 30-45 flashes per minute

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- White and Green: Lighted land airport

- Green alone: Lighted land airport

- White and Yellow: Lighted water airport

- Yellow alone: Lighted water airport

- Green alone or yellow alone is used only in connection with a white-and-green or

white-and-yellow beacon display, respectively

- Green, Yellow, and White: Lighted heliport

- Military airport beacons flash alternately white and green, but are differentiated

from civil beacons by dual-peaked (two quick) white flashes between the green flashes

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Taxiway Lights:

- The taxiway lighting systems are made up of a number of lights, including the

lights on the taxiway. It's critical to keep in mind that the taxiway and runway

serve different purposes. The taxiway allows access from the terminal and

hangar facilities to the runway and vice versa, even though the runway is the

area used for takeoff and landing.

- The major goal of the taxiway lights is to make sure that people moving on the

taxiway, especially for airplanes that conform to ATC clearance rules, take the

proper routes to get where they're going.

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Taxiway Centerline Lead-off Lights:

- Installed to give personnel leaving the runway visual cues.

- They are color-coded to inform pilots and vehicle drivers whether they are in

the instrument landing system (ILS) critical region or the runway environment,

whichever is more limiting.

- From the runway centerline to one centerline light position past the runway

holding position or ILS critical area holding position, alternate green and yellow

lights are erected, starting with green.

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Taxiway Centerline Lead-On Lights:

- Lead-on lights are produced by bidirectional fixtures, which means that one

side generates light for the lead-on function and the other side emits light for

the lead-off function.

- Any fixture must also provide yellow light for the lead-on function if it

produces yellow light for the lead-off function.

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Runway Lights:

- An essential component of the airport lighting system are the runway lights.

They must, of course, adhere to ICAO norms, be readily visible, operate

continuously in all operational circumstances, and (compliant with

international aviation regulations).

Runway End Identifier Lights (REIL):

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- They are made up of synchronized flashing lights that are either

omnidirectional (facing all directions) or unidirectional, and are positioned

laterally on each side of the threshold (facing the approach area)

- Aids in locating the runway when additional lighting is present, there is little

difference between it and the surrounding terrain, or when visibility is low.

Runway Edge Light:

- In low light or other visibility situations, runway margins are marked with

runway edge lights.

- The lights at the ends of the runway emit green light outward from the end of

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the runway to indicate the threshold for landing aircraft and red light toward

the runway to indicate the end of the runway to leaving aircraft.

Runway Centerline Lighting System:

- Some precision approach runways have Runway Centerline Lighting Systems

(RCLS) installed to make landing easier in low visibility situations.

- The runway centerline lights are white until the final 3,000 feet, at which point

they alternate between red and white for 2,000 feet before turning red at

1,000 feet.

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Touchdown Zone Lights:

- Some precision approach runways have Touchdown Zone Lights (TDZL) placed

to signal the touchdown zone in poor visibility.

- Starting 100 feet beyond the landing threshold, steady blazing white lights are

visible for 3,000 feet or half the length of the runway, whichever is shorter.

- The runway centerline is surrounded by two rows of transverse light bars

arranged symmetrically.

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Land and Hold Short Operations (LAHSO):

- Is a method of air traffic control that relies on pilot input to combine the

requirements for increasing airport capacity and system efficiency with a

commitment to safety.

- Landing and holding short of an intersecting taxiway, or another designated

position on a runway other than an intersecting runway or taxiway are

examples of these.

- An operation like LAHSO begins on the ground before you take off, like most

things in aviation.

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Runway Entrance Lights:

- Lights that are flush mounted, in-pavement, unidirectional, parallel, focussed,

and pointed at the pilot (and surface vehicle drivers) at the hold line.

- REL lights are arranged in a row, with the first light at the hold line, then a

string of lights evenly spaced out to the runway edge, and one more light at

the runway centerline aligned with the final two lights before the runway edge.

- The red lights signal the presence of an approaching aircraft or high-speed

traffic on the runway when they become active.

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Takeoff Hold Lights:

- An airplane in position for takeoff or rolling is informed by illuminated red

lights that it is dangerous to takeoff because another aircraft or ground vehicle

is now using or about to utilize the runway.

- The lights must be illuminated by two aircraft, or by a surface vehicle and an

aircraft. The departing aircraft must be ready to take off or have started its

takeoff roll.

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Runway Guard Lights:

- Improves visibility of taxiway/runway intersections in low-light conditions.

- Consists of either a row of in-pavement yellow lights running the length of the

taxiway or two elevated flashing yellow lights at the runway holding marker.

- At the intersections of the taxiway and runway in some airports, there may be

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a row of three or five in-pavement yellow lights installed.

Runway Status Lights:

- Advises drivers of vehicles and pilots to stop when runways are unsafe.

- The lights, which are integrated into the runway and taxiway surface, turn red

automatically when it becomes hazardous to enter, cross, or start takeoff due

to other traffic.

- Without input from controllers, the lights deliver clear, quick alerts.

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Obstruction Lights:

- Obstructions are marked and lit to warn airmen of their presence during

daytime and night-time conditions.

- Markings are made during the daytime using aviation orange and white paint.

- A flashing red light bulb during nighttime operation denotes the marking of a

barrier in the path (20 to 40 flashes per minute)

- A persistent red light reveals a barrier in the terminal area.

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