Airport Lighting

Brett Malloy

An Equal Opportunity University

Characterization of the Ballast-Tie Interface

Overview
1. General Guidelines

2. Approach Lighting

3. Visual Approach Slope Aids

4. Threshold Lighting

5. Runway Lighting

6. Taxiway Lighting
Characterization of the Ballast-Tie Interface

General Guidelines
White Lights:
• Runway Surface Edges
• Runway Surface Centerline
• Runway Centerline on Approach
• Landing Zone
• Runway Approach Distance
• Visual Approach Slope Aid (Nearest Runway Threshold)

Red Lights:
• Runway Edges on Approach
• Runway Threshold in Opposite Direction (Wrong Direction)
• End of Runway in Direction of Operation
• Visual Approach Slope Aid (Farthest from Runway Threshold)

Green Lights:
• Runway Threshold

Blue Lights:
• Taxiways

Yellow Lights:
• Areas of Caution
Characterization of the Ballast-Tie Interface

Approach Lighting
• Intensity:
• Higher intensity is required for approach lighting systems
(ALS).

• For visual range of 2000 to 2500 feet, outermost approach

lights should be 200,000 cd

• 100-500 cd for approach lights closer to threshold

Characterization of the Ballast-Tie Interface

Approach Lighting
• System Configuration:
• Several Types:

• Calvert System

• ICAO Category II and Category III System

• High-Intensity Approach Light Systems (ALSF-2 and

ALSF-1)

• Medium-intensity Approach Light System (MALSR,

MALSF, and MALS)
Characterization of the Ballast-Tie Interface

Approach Lighting
• Calvert System:
• 3000 feet in length
• Series of single-bulb lights spaced on 100-ft intervals along
extended runway centerline
• Six transverse crossbars of lights spaced on 500-ft centers
• Length of transverse rows diminishes as aircraft nears
runway.
Characterization of the Ballast-Tie Interface

Approach Lighting
• ICAO Category I and Category II System
• Two lines of red bars on each side of runway at 30-m
intervals extending out 300 m from runway
• Single line of white bars on runway centerline at 30-m
intervals extending out 300 m from runway
• Two longer bars of white light at distances of 150 m and
300 m from runway
• Long bar of green light at runway threshold
• Also, it is recommended that long bars of white light be
placed at 450 m, 500 m and 750 m from runway centerline.
Characterization of the Ballast-Tie Interface

Approach Lighting
• ICAO Category I and Category II Systems:
Characterization of the Ballast-Tie Interface

Approach Lighting
• High-Intensity ALS
• ALSF-1
• Long transverse white light crossbar located 1000 feet from runway, 100
feet in width with 21 lights
• 2400-3000 feet long
• Sequenced high-intensity flashing lights located every 100 feet on
extended runway centerline for outermost 1400 feet
• 14-ft crossbars of five-bulb white light placed at 100-ft intervals for a
distance of 2400-3000 from runway
• Long bar of green light at runway threshold, extending 2-10 feet outward
from runway and 45 feet outside of runway edge on each side
• Two additional five-bulb crossbars of red light placed symmetrically about
runway centerline at a distance of 100 feet from runway to delineate edge
of runway
• Two additional three-bulb red light crossbars along runway centerline at
200 feet from runway
Characterization of the Ballast-Tie Interface

Approach Lighting
• High-Intensity ALS
• ALSF-2
• Long transverse white light crossbar located 1000 feet from runway, 100
feet in width with 21 lights
• 2400-3000 feet long
• Sequenced high-intensity flashing lights located every 100 feet on
extended runway centerline for outermost 1400 feet
• 14-ft crossbars of five-bulb white light placed at 100-ft intervals for a
distance of 2400-3000 from runway
• Long bar of green light at runway threshold, extending 2-10 feet outward
from runway and 45 feet outside of runway edge on each side
• Two additional three or four-bulb crossbars of white light placed
symmetrically about runway centerline at a distance of 500 feet from
runway, with 5-ft spacing
• Additional three-bulb red light crossbars placed symmetrically about
runway centerline at 100-ft intervals extending 1000 feet from runway
Characterization of the Ballast-Tie Interface

Approach Lighting
ALSF-1:

ALSF-2:
Characterization of the Ballast-Tie Interface

Approach Lighting
• Medium-Intensity ALS
• MALSR
• 2400 feet long
• Divided into two sections：
• Inner 1000 feet is medium-intensity ALS portion , outer 1400 feet is
RAIL portion of system.
• RAIL = runway alignment indicator lights
• 14-ft crossbars of five-bulb white lights placed at 200-ft intervals extending
from runway centerline for a distance of 2400 feet from runway
• Two additional 20-ft crossbars of five-bulb white lights placed at 1000 feet
from runway, spaced symmetrically outside of 14-ft crossbar forming a 70-ft
single crossbar
• Additional sequential flashing lights for outermost 1000 feet
• Green threshold lights extending 10 feet outward from runway, and 10 feet
outside of runway edge on each side
Characterization of the Ballast-Tie Interface

Approach Lighting
• Medium-Intensity ALS
• MALSF
• 1400 feet long
• 12.5-ft crossbars of five-bulb white light placed at 200-ft intervals
extending from runway centerline for a distance of 1400 feet from
runway
• Sequence flashers replace runway alignment indicator lights.
• Sequential flashing lights for outermost 400 feet, located at final
three crossbar stations
• Two additional five-bulb white light crossbars placed 1000 feet from
runway, spaced symmetrically outside of 12.5-ft crossbar forming a
single 66-ft crossbar
• Green threshold lights extending 10 feet outward from runway, and
10 feet outside of runway edge on each side
Characterization of the Ballast-Tie Interface

Approach Lighting
MALSR:

MALSF:
Characterization of the Ballast-Tie Interface

Visual-Approach Slope Aids

• Visual-Approach Slope Indicator (VASI)
• Used primarily to aid pilots in defining desired glide path
during approach.

• Series of light bars running on ground adjacent to the

side(s) of the runway

• Various VASI configurations, based on:

• Desired Visual Range
• Type of Aircraft
• Wide-bodied Aircraft Use
Characterization of the Ballast-Tie Interface

Visual-Approach Slope Aids

• Visual-Approach Slope Indicator (VASI)
• Two types of bars:

• Downwind bar: Nearest runway threshold; will appear

white if pilot is at proper height

• Upwind Bar: Farthest from runway threshold; will

appear red if pilot is at proper height

• If pilot is too low, both bars will appear red.

• If pilot is too high, both bars will appear white.
Characterization of the Ballast-Tie Interface

Visual-Approach Slope Aids

• Visual-Approach Slope Indicator (VASI)
• Various Configurations:
Characterization of the Ballast-Tie Interface

Visual-Approach Slope Aids

• Visual-Approach Slope Indicator (VASI)
• General Bar Spacing, VASI-6 configuration:
Characterization of the Ballast-Tie Interface

Threshold Lighting
• Denotes runway threshold
• Vital in determining whether pilot will make decision to
land or execute a missed approach.

• Green Lights extending out from runway (2-10’):

• Lights extend across entire width of runway in large
airports.
• Four green lights are placed on each side of threshold in
small airports.

• Appear green in direction of landing, and appear red in

opposite direction to indicate end of runway
Characterization of the Ballast-Tie Interface

Runway Lighting
• Runway Edge Lights
• Generally elevated units
• Project 30 inches above surface

• White lights along the edge of runway

• Not more than 10 feet from edge of pavement
• Lights in final 2000 feet of instrument runway are yellow
to indicate caution. (In direction of operation)

• Spacing:
• 200-ft max longitudinal spacing
Characterization of the Ballast-Tie Interface

Runway Lighting
• Runway Centerline and Touchdown Lights
• Installed in Pavement

• Touchdown zone lights are three-bulb white bars.

• Located on each side of runway centerline
• Extend 3000 feet from runway threshold, or one-half the runway length for
runways less than 6000 feet long
• Spaced at 100-ft intervals
• 36 feet from runway centerline on each side

• Centerline lights are also white.

• Spaced at 50-ft intervals
• Offset 2 feet from runway centerline
• Change colors in last 3000 feet of runway in direction of operation
• Last 1000’- Red
• Next 2000’- Alternate between red and white
Characterization of the Ballast-Tie Interface

Runway Lighting
Runway Touchdown Light Spacing:
Characterization of the Ballast-Tie Interface

Runway Lighting
Runway Centerline Light Spacing:
Characterization of the Ballast-Tie Interface

Taxiway Lighting
• Taxiway Edge Lights

• Elevated, bidirectional lights

• Blue

• Spaced at intervals of 200 feet on each side of the taxiway,

with closer spacing on curves

• Located not more than 10 feet from edge of pavement

• Extend a maximum of 30 inches above pavement surface

Characterization of the Ballast-Tie Interface

Taxiway Lighting
Taxiway Edge Lights on curved and straight sections:
Characterization of the Ballast-Tie Interface

Taxiway Lighting
Location of taxiway lights on entrances and exits:
Characterization of the Ballast-Tie Interface

Taxiway Lighting
• Taxiway Centerline Lighting

• Taxiway centerlines terminate at entrances to runway.

• At taxiway intersections, the lights continue across.

• For long-radius high-speed exit taxiways:

• Taxiway lights extend onto runway from a point 200 feet back from point of
curvature of the taxiway to point of tangency of the central curve of the
taxiway.
• In this arrangement, spacing of lights is 50 feet.
• Lights are offset 2 feet from runway centerline lights.

• Taxiway-Runway intersections in which planes must hold short of runway,

several yellow lights spaced at 5-ft intervals are placed transversely across
taxiway.
Characterization of the Ballast-Tie Interface

Taxiway Lighting
Taxiway Centerline Light Spacing:
Characterization of the Ballast-Tie Interface

References
Federal Aviation Administration. A Quick Reference: Airfield Standards,

2nd edition. FAA, October 2011. Web. 14 December 2012.

Horonjeff, Rob, and Francis X. Mckelvey. Planning and Design of

Airports, 4thedition. Boston: McGraw Hill, 1994. Print.