Airfield lighting

2.2
Agenda

● Factors affecting airport lighting

● Runway lighting systems
● PAPI lights
● Approach lighting systems
● Taxiway lighting systems
WHY IS THERE A NEED FOR AIRFIELD LIGHTING SYSTEM?

help guide planes using the runways and taxiways at

night or in bad weather condition

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgMtZwpGLJE
FACTORS AFFECTING AIRPORT LIGHTING

▪ Airport classification
▪ Amount of traffic
▪ Availability of power
▪ Nature of aircraft using the airport
▪ Type of landing surfaces provided
▪ Weather condition, etc.
FACTORS AFFECTING AIRPORT LIGHTING

▪ To achieve uniformity and to guide pilots for

unfamiliar airports, colours and general arrangement
of airport lights are standardized.
▪ Airport lights are kept clean, well-maintained, checked
regularly for faulty bulbs and replacement.
▪ Tough and laborious job, major airport contains
30,000 lights
▪ Provision of emergency power supplies, which can take
over in seconds in case of any power failure.
AIRPORT BEACON
▪ Beacon- strong beam of light- used to indicate any
geographical location- situated above the ground.
horizontal- rotated to produce flashing light to an
observer.
▪ It gives out white and green flashes in the horizontal
directions 180◦ apart. Flashes are visible for the pilot from
any direction of approach and it indicates the approximate
situation of an airport equipped for the night operations.

▪ Rotates at six revolutions per minute- mounted at top of

terminal building or hangar.
AIRPORT BEACON

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIT1XkIyRcQ
 RUNWAY END LIGHTS
◻ Built into the ends of runway
◻ Each end will have row of lights and can be either red or
green
◻ The end from were landing and takeoff is operational
will be denoted as green wear as the non operational end
will have red color.
◻ Red color also indicates that you are approaching the
end of the runway and will be seen as a sign of danger.
RUNWAY END IDENTIFIER LIGHTS (REIL)
◻ This lights face the approach direction of the runway.
◻ This lights aid pilots to identify runway approach at a
distance
◻ Flashing white lights
RUNWAY EDGE LIGHTS
◻ Row of white lights along
each side of runway

◻ If the runway has ILS

capability then edge lights
towards the end of the
runway will turn yellow to
warn pilots that they are
nearing the end of the
runway
EDGE LIGHTS WITH/ WITHOUT ILS
 RUNWAY CENTERLINE LIGHTS

◻ Runway centerline lights are white

lights
◻ They run along the centerline of the
runway
◻ The lights will begin to alternate to
red at the end of the runway to notify
the pilot that they are approaching the
runway
◻ The final 1000 feet will be full red.
 PRECISION APPROACH PATH INDICATOR
(PAPI LIGHTS)
◻ A precision approach path
indicator (PAPI) is a visual aid that
provides guidance information to
help a pilot acquire and maintain
the correct approach (in the vertical
plane) to an airport or an
aerodrome.
◻ It is generally located on the side of
the runway approximately 300
meters beyond the landing
threshold of the runway
PRECISION APPROACH PATH INDICATOR
(PAPI LIGHTS)
TOUCHDOWN ZONE LIGHTS

◻Group of three white lights

on either side of the runway
centerline
◻They begin at runway
threshold and extend to
3000 feet.
◻they help the pilot to
identify the touchdown
zone on the runway
 APPROACH LIGHT SYSTEMS
◻ Different ways to setup the approach
lighting system, the general idea is that these
are extension of runway centerline.
◻ Decision bars are always located 1000′
farther away from the threshold in the
direction of the arriving aircraft, and serve
as a visible horizon to ease the transition
from instrument flight to visual flight
◻ Series of light which are placed horizontally
 APPROACH LIGHT SYSTEMS
◻ It acts as a decision point for the pilot
weather to continue with the landing or
go around.

◻ The approach landing system may

contain a series of strobe lights. This are
basically sequenced flashing lights
which appear to guide the aircraft
towards the runway

◻ They start at the starting point of

approach light system and end at the
decision bar
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3i_MqqYSjg&feature=youtu.be
 DISPLACED THRESHOLD LIGHTS
Set of red edge lights along with the set of red lights similar
to touchdown zone markings.
 TAXIWAY LEAD ON AND LEAD OFF LIGHTS

◻ This lights alternate between

green and yellow and will
guide the pilot from the
centerline of the runway to
the centerline of the taxiway
and vice-a-versa.
RUNWAY LIGHTS - VIDEO

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lMxSdFkYzo
 TAXIWAY LIGHT
◻ Taxiway centreline lights- Steady Green
◻ Taxiway Edge Lights- Steady Blue
◻ Clearance bar lights- Three steady yellow light indicating
holding position along taxiway
TAXIWAY LIGHT
 RUNWAY GUARD LIGHTS
◻ Runway Guard lights are of two
types:
Type 1
1. Two sets of two yellow lights on
the either side of taxiway
2. They alternate slowly amongst
them
Type 2
1. Row of steady yellow lights
2. This stretch across the entire width of
the taxi way
RUNWAY GUARD LIGHTS
 STOP BAR LIGHTS

•At the end of the taxi way towards the runway end
•They alternate between runway lead on and lead of lights
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wbLG4lnyMM&t=18
s

Start at 8:20
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4szH1iLDPrM

Airside Maintenance System

 REFERENCES:
◻ http://www.amaindia.com/products/

◻ https://adbsafegate.com/product-center/airfield/

◻ https://www.lighting-gallery.net/gallery/displayimage.php?al
bum=2802&pos=86&pid=114985

◻ https://www.ubs.com.tr/documents/PistDosya_xeXlp6KsQk.
pdf