Recognition Lights in Cruise

[Guest enave]

What is the SOP on aircraft recognition lights? Are they on during all phases of flight? When I've flown commercial and sat near a wing I don't remember ever seeing wing inspection lights on. So my question is, when are the wing and tail lights turned on and when are they turned off?While we're on the subject, my understanding is that the flashing anti-collision lights must be turned on right before the engines are started. Those lights indicate to ground crew (who may be wearing hearing protection) that the engines are on.Strobe lights are turned on just before take off.And navigation lights (the red and green lights) are on at all times.I know there are real pilots here so please correct me where I'm wrong.thanks.

[KevinAu 441]

>What is the SOP on aircraft recognition lights? Are they on>during all phases of flight? When I've flown commercial and>sat near a wing I don't remember ever seeing wing inspection>lights on. So my question is, when are the wing and tail>lights turned on and when are they turned off?>>>thanks.Typically below FL180 or below 10000, depending on the company policy.

[AlaskanFlyboy 7]

Nav Lights are not required in the day time, atleast in the US and for Part 91 operations, but I don't know about 135 or 121. I know it's my flight school's policy to only use Nav Lights when they're required, which is sunset to sunrise (FAR 91.209 (a)), as they are generally too dim to be seen in daylight and would mainly just be burning out the bulb quicker. I don't know how this would work with airlines though, Part 121 may have stricter policies.----------------------------------------------------------------John MorganReal World: KGEG, UND Aerospace Spokane Satillite, Private ASEL 141.2 hrs, 314 landings, 46 inst. apprs.Virtual: MSFS 2004"There is a feeling about an airport that no other piece of ground can have. No matter what the name of the country on whose land it lies, an airport is a place you can see and touch that leads to a reality that can only be thought and felt." - The Bridge Across Forever: A Love Story by Richard Bach

[Guest enave]

Thanks for the info.

[RFields5421 1]

The policy for the four biz jets my company owns is all on all the time while flying - day or night. Anything to make the aircraft more visible. Though there is definitely a greater cost.

[KevinAu 441]

Our use of lights in the airline world is the same, day or night, it makes no difference. We use all our lights day or night. It helps you be seen, but more importantly, it is one less thing a lawyer can attack you with in court.

[Guest jrewing]

My company's policy:Position (nav) lights and beacon on before engine start - this indicates to the marshaller and ground crew that engine start is about to happen.Taxi lights for all ground movement.Landing lights, strobes, and recognition lights go on when taking the runway for takeoff and they remain on until clear of the runway after landing.Landing lights can go off passing 2000' AGL at the discretion of the PIC.Recognition lights and strobes can be turned off at the discretion of the PIC if they become distracting in the clouds or in other situations.Exiting the runway, strobes, landing lights, and recognition lights off, taxi lights on.At shutdown, position lights and beacon remain on until prop movement ceases.John

[AlaskanFlyboy 7]

NAV lights on a Warrior are barely noticble even close up in the daylight, but yeah, I'm sure there's a lawyer out there that would reach for it. If they can sue over the attitude indicator failure incident with that non-instrument rated Missourri government official, nav lights should be a snap. Hehe----------------------------------------------------------------John MorganReal World: KGEG, UND Aerospace Spokane Satillite, Private ASEL 141.2 hrs, 314 landings, 46 inst. apprs.Virtual: MSFS 2004"There is a feeling about an airport that no other piece of ground can have. No matter what the name of the country on whose land it lies, an airport is a place you can see and touch that leads to a reality that can only be thought and felt." - The Bridge Across Forever: A Love Story by Richard Bach

[KevinAu 441]

Actually, you probably wouldn't want to turn on the nav lights during the day on a Piper single because that function dims the landing gear status lights on the retractables. Many "dim" pilots have thought they had a landing gear problem because the nav lights were left on during the day.

[AlaskanFlyboy 7]

Yeah, I'm in fixed gear right now finishing instrument, though I hope to be in an Arrow for my complex soon.----------------------------------------------------------------John MorganReal World: KGEG, UND Aerospace Spokane Satillite, Private ASEL 141.2 hrs, 314 landings, 46 inst. apprs.Virtual: MSFS 2004"There is a feeling about an airport that no other piece of ground can have. No matter what the name of the country on whose land it lies, an airport is a place you can see and touch that leads to a reality that can only be thought and felt." - The Bridge Across Forever: A Love Story by Richard Bach

[Guest]

hanging out watching airplanes some nights doing their approach, I have noticed sometimes they forget to turn on the landing lights, I have even seen smaller airplanes without strobes. One little cessna forgot to put his beacon on. lolI sure hope these people don't crash into somebody

[Guest Adverse Yawn]

In JAA land it is mandetory for all aircraft over 5700kg to have their anti-collision and navigation lights on day and night. Recognition lights are the lights used to taxi at night or during low viz or low light. Those should be switched off after take-off. Obviously any white light can be confused for a rear navifation light and, as recognition/taxi lights are quite bright, then the red/green wing navigation lights can be obscured making it difficult for one airraft to determine the other aircraft's orientation at night.

[Guest Adverse Yawn]

Certainly my experience is that on the light aircraft I have flown, the landing light doesn't add any perspective, just using the run way edge lights in one's peripheral vision produces good and consistent results. However,the landing light should be on, except when specifically being trained to land at night with a simulated electrics failure.

[KevinAu 441]

Recognition lights are basically used like landing lights. The purpose of the recognition lights is to be used in flight as a substitute for landing lights. When I flew Navajos for a freight company, I remember most of our planes had recognition lights installed at the wingtips. The reason for this is because on the Navajos, the landing and taxi lights are installed on the nose landing gear. Once the gear is retracted you did not have any of those lights available. Recognition lights then become your only remaining big bright light shining forward for other people to recognize you with as you fly through the terminal area. There is no risk of confusion since they look like landing lights and it should be obviously that if you can see that big bright headlight, that the plane is coming at you even if it outshines the little green and red navigation lights.

[Guest Adverse Yawn]

I was thinking more enroute than terminal, as per the spirit of the original question. Clearly, a distance recog light could be confused for a near rear navigation light.