I Cannot See Runway Lights Not Perpendicular To My Flight Path

[ls25 0]

Hello all.I have searched & searched for a fix for this, and it seems that all I can find is approach lights too big, or change aircraft lights, or halo.bmp... but nothing to address the specific issue of runway lighting from a distance.For example, I did a quick test flight in the default Lear from KMQY (Smyrna airfield) to KBNA (Nashville Int'l) and I tuned in Nashville VOR BNA 114.10, and at 2DME I finally saw rwy31 light up. The BNA VOR is on the field, near center of the airport. I could see either two, or all three of the 02/20 runways, but tracking BNA VOR in at 310

[netshadoe 144]

I just did a quick flight using the same parameters you've described and I also saw the same thing. But...if I slewed over to the runway center line, the lights light up like they are supposed to. I think this is Flight Sim's way of showing omni-directional lights that are used on some airports with crossing runways so pilots do not see the crossing runway's lights and get confused. You really won't see them until you are lined up on final.Here at CYOW, in real life, RWY 25 is like that so aircraft landing on 32 won't get confused. I've flown many times at night with no runway point of reference except for the First Air maintenance hangar at the end of 07/25. One I was lined up with 25, the light came into full view.Just my 2 cents.Devin

[AlaskanFlyboy 7]

This is what I thought he was talking about, but wasn't sure. Of all the airports I've flown to at night in the real world, the lights typically get dim as you come abeam them along the runway, but are their brightest when you're coming down head on with the runway. I don't think I've ever seen them altogether disappear though as you need them to reference your position in the pattern. I'll have to take a flight and see what I see.

[netshadoe 144]

This is what I thought he was talking about, but wasn't sure. Of all the airports I've flown to at night in the real world, the lights typically get dim as you come abeam them along the runway, but are their brightest when you're coming down head on with the runway. I don't think I've ever seen them altogether disappear though as you need them to reference your position in the pattern. I'll have to take a flight and see what I see.

You're right, they don't disappear completely, but in a bright environment like a major airport, they can be washed out. I used a poor choice of words saying I have no point of reference...I just choose to use the hangar. It's easier to see it than the washed out runway lights when on downwind and base leg. Devin

[AlaskanFlyboy 7]

Yeah, they do get dim. I haven't yet gotten to test the flight as I ended up working 14 hours yesterday do to the snowstorm here messing with our flight schedules and my stupid work ethic kicking in. Hehe. Only 4 of the 45 rampers volunteered to stay beyond their assigned shifts to wait for out feeder aircraft to come in and it takes about 6 to efficiently deal with just one of them.Anyway. I know that flight sim takes some tweaking as I find the lights too bright to begin with. I can clearly see Pasco-Tri Cities Airport at night from a long way out in the sim, but I know it's impossible to distinguish it from the street lights in reality which forces you to look for the airport beacon just to home in on. Even the HIRL tend to be dimmer than your standard street light. So, I like to tweak my lights over time. I feel the taxiway lights are rather bright by default as well. If you're having trouble seeing lights in the sim, adjust the light scalar settings in the FS9.cfg and see if that doesn't fic it. Nick's Light Fix also is handy to try.