One of the final things I have to do to make the checklists complete is get the light logic down. Here are some "facts" that I have gathered from the tutroials and Mike Ray's books on the 737. It makes sense to me that a light should only come on right before it is needed, otherwise, you could simply turn all of them on when you begin the Cold and Dark startup procedure ... but then if that were true, you'd be burning an expensive lightbulb when you don't have to ... so here goes:

 

"The ANTI-COLLISION light has to be on at all times when the plane is moving"

 

Therefore, it makes sense to turn this light on right before parking brake release and pushback. If I was on the ground crew I would like to know when movement is imminent not simly probable. I would also turn them off as a part of the end of taxi procedure when we are pulled up to the gate and the parking brake is set.

 

"Anytime the airplane crosses a hold short line or transits any ruynway environment the STROBE lights and WING lights must be on"

 

"Before 'cleared onto runway' the CAPT turns on 3 sets of lights, RUNWAY TURNOFF lights, LANDING lights".

 

This statement nails down the LANDING lights logic ... turn them ON before entering the active runway and turn them off when ascending through 10,000 ft. Then, in the reverse, descending through 10,000 ft. turn the landing lights on and then when clear of the active runway turn the LANDING lights OFF.

 

One problem is with the POSITION light ... which has two positions ... STROBE & STEADY and STROBE. Currently I have this being turned to STEADY in the Cold and Dark Startup (first checklist) ... then changed to STROBE & STEADY during pushback, staying in that condition after takeoff ... don't know what their conditoin should be during flight (below and/or above 10,000 ft.) ... going to make the assumption that it stays in STROBE & STEADY during all phases of flight ... then, after landing and clear of the runway set it to STEADY ... and finally (and I'm guessing on this one) turned off during Shutdown.

 

TAXI light ... turned on before pushback ... turned off before entering active runway ... turned back on when clear of active runway (landing) and turned off when parking brake is set during the shutdown procedure.

 

WING lights ... if not nighttime ... turned ON when cleared onto runway ... if nighttime ON during Cold and Dark Setup. OFF after leaving runway after landing or, if nighttime, OFF during the shutdown procedure.

 

LOGO lights ... same logic as WING lights.

 

What do you guys think?

 

CTBlankenship

Remember that, with the exception of the beacon and nav lights (POSITION lights), there is no regulatory requirement for the application of any of them. It is all airline SOP, but what you've written is a good rule of thumb, except this:

 

then changed to STROBE & STEADY during pushback, staying in that condition after takeoff ... don't know what their conditoin should be during flight (below and/or above 10,000 ft.) ... going to make the assumption that it stays in STROBE & STEADY during all phases of flight ... then, after landing and clear of the runway set it to STEADY ... and finally (and I'm guessing on this one) turned off during Shutdown.

 

Strobes should only be on from takeoff to landing. You'll irritate a ton of people (other pilots, rampies, and passengers) if you turn them on at any other time (they're bright, distracting, etc). Basically: entering runway - strobes on; exiting runway - strobes off.

 

The nav lights are generally left on at all times that the aircraft has any power, be it battery, ground, APU or engines (in the airline world).

 

In essence, that switch on the NG is really only going to be in either the STEADY or STEADY/STROBE position in normal operations.

Charles,

 

Some of what you write is airline SOP, but much is already clearly laid out in the PMDG manuals. Look at the Normal Procedures, Amplified Procedures section of the Operating Manual Vol 1 (otherwise known as FCOM1) manual and the Normal Checklist section of the Quick Reference Handbook (QRH) manual. These detail the procedure, normal sequence of actions and the subsequent checklist.

 

The lights policy can vary between operators, but as a general rule, anti-col on during the before start procedure, taxi light during the taxi procedure, strobe lights and fixed landing lights during the line up procedure. Airlines will also define when the retractable landing lights will be used, typically when cleared to take off or land.

 

Also, agree with what Kyle says too.

 

"Before 'cleared onto runway' the CAPT turns on 3 sets of lights, RUNWAY TURNOFF lights, LANDING lights".

Actually, under Boeing procedures, that is the FOs job as it is his area of responsibility.

This is how we use the lights in our company.

 

 

Steady Position light whenever the aircraft is powered with AC, could be GPU or APU.

 

Logo light we use during hours of darkness and up to 10.000' where we switch them off and back on when passing 10k during descent.

 

Wing light we only use to check for leading edge ice during hours of darkness.

 

Anti Collision light / beacon light is used from being cleared to push all the way until we pulled onto a stand again and N2 is bellow 20%. ( no risk of being sucked into the engine )

 

Strobes, that is in the Steady & Strobe position is used when crossing an active runway and/or on the line-up checks before T/O. And back to Steady only once the runway is vacated, if crossing another active runway we put them back on while crossing.

 

 

Taxi lights are used together with the Turnoff lights for taxi, but not as you wrote from push back cause then you would blind the pushback tug driver. We turn them on just after receiving the taxi clearance. Once cleared for line up we put the Taxi only to off. Before turning onto the stand we turn off both turnoff and taxi light to not blind the marshaller.

 

 

Turnoff lights are used together with Taxi light on ground, once cleared to line up the turn offs remain on and up to 10 000 feet. Again on descent we turn them on passing 10 000 feet and remains on 'til jus before we turn onto our stand to not blind the marshaller.

 

 

FIXED Landing lights goes on with line up clearance and stays on until passing 10 000 feet. Back on passing 10 000' for descent and we turn them off once we vacated the runway and turn on taxi light.

 

RETRACTABLE Landing light goes on once we are cleared for take off. We turn them off after we retracted the landing gear, so landing gear lever up - retracts to off. Light goes back on once cleared to land and remains on until the runway is vacated.

Hey Iccccie:

 

You saved me sooo much time ... I can't thank you enough for this information ... it will complete my EFB checklists/flows.

 

Thank you so much.

Hey Iccccie:

 

You saved me sooo much time ... I can't thank you enough for this information ... it will complete my EFB checklists/flows.

 

Thank you so much.

 

 

Hey, no probs man.. Just a small note, this is how we do it in our company, i'm sure there is other companies out there doing some of the things differently..

Hi Charles,

 

I like this video

as it features Ryanair 737-800's also you can see the lights.

This is how we use the lights in our company.

 

Hi Patrik, Great to see you real world guys commenting how your company operates their lights. I realise it maybe one of several SOP about the industry, but yours makes real sense, and imagine others very similar.

Regards

Geoff ... his input was invaluable ... he basically finished my Electronic Flight Bag checklist for me.

I'm glad I can help! If you want the info behind "putting the retractable landing light to the off position when moving the landing gear lever to up on take off" it is only to save some fuel Apparently it save's us 7 kg of fuel / take off.

Hi Charles and Patrik,

I live on short finals at 01 YBBN, and the a/c fly directly overhead about 700-800ft.(Funny, many of our friends, say you poor sod for living here...I'd like to get closer^^^) I often look up at the a/c approaching and some times notice at night what looks like lights in the wheel wells pointing down from the 737NG when looking slightly from behind? Maybe I am seeing a reflection of the retractable lights?

Hi Charles and Patrik,

I live on short finals at 01 YBBN, and the a/c fly directly overhead about 700-800ft.(Funny, many of our friends, say you poor sod for living here...I'd like to get closer^^^) I often look up at the a/c approaching and some times notice at night what looks like lights in the wheel wells pointing down from the 737NG when looking slightly from behind? Maybe I am seeing a reflection of the retractable lights?

 

 

The retractable landing lights are in front of the wheel well so i don't think you are seeing them.

 

737's have wheel well lighting to aid walk around checks in the wheel well. There are 3 Switches for this, 1 on the lower overhead panel it controls the lighting for both nose gear wheel well and main landing gear wheel well, 1 switch is located behind the external power receptacle door this switch is only for the nose wheel well, and the last switch in the main wheel well on the left side controlling the main wheel well lights. If any of the switches is in the ON position the light will be illuminated, regardless of the other switches. So if you forget for example the switch in the main wheel well in the on position it will be illuminated, probably that is what you are seeing.

The retractable landing lights are in front of the wheel well so i don't think you are seeing them.

 

737's have wheel well lighting to aid walk around checks in the wheel well. There are 3 Switches for this, 1 on the lower overhead panel it controls the lighting for both nose gear wheel well and main landing gear wheel well, 1 switch is located behind the external power receptacle door this switch is only for the nose wheel well, and the last switch in the main wheel well on the left side controlling the main wheel well lights. If any of the switches is in the ON position the light will be illuminated, regardless of the other switches. So if you forget for example the switch in the main wheel well in the on position it will be illuminated, probably that is what you are seeing.

Hi Patrik,

Yes, you are probably right. Maybe pure coincidence when I see lights on some occasions in the wheel wells, as by the time overhead me, wheels are well and truly out and down.

Regards