Landing Light SOP

I seem to remember a Flying article on an LED replacement landing light
"bulb" that lasted 20x or more regular bulbs - for almost the same price.


"Dale" wrote in message
...
In article .com,
"Jay Honeck" wrote:

I was taught (in the USA) to use the landing light whenever in the
vicinity of an airport, which is not to much different to the above.
That includes take-off as there's often traffic on a reciprocal
heading.

Interesting. I've never used my landing light on departure, except
near major airshows (OSH, Sun N Fun) where it's often requested.

Do others here do so?


If I was inflight my landing light was on, except at night when I only
used it for takeoff and landing.

--
Dale L. Falk

There is nothing - absolutely nothing - half so much worth doing
as simply messing around with airplanes.

http://home.gci.net/~sncdfalk/flying.html

What is a certified bulb, exactly?

"Private" wrote in message
news:fuP8f.345716$tl2.15531@pd7tw3no...
snip
I would think that owners who are not as fussy about
using certified bulbs are more likely to use the light for safety.

Jay Honeck wrote:

Didn't the British actually experiment with using extremely bright
lights to hide their aircraft during the day?

Well, they did use searchlights to try to keep U-boats from spotting anti-sub
patrol Liberators, but I don't recall that the reports stated that they were
particularly bright. The general idea was to shine a light that would be about
as bright as the ambient light and prevent the plane from registering as a dark
object.


Speaking from personal experience, if you happen to be in front of another
aircraft, the landing lights attract the eye. If you're off to one side, they
don't show up at all.

George Patterson
Drink is the curse of the land. It makes you quarrel with your neighbor.
It makes you shoot at your landlord. And it makes you miss him.

normally the transition through 10,000ft is the lights on silent cockpit
line

my lights are on the gear.. no lights until the gear come down
BT

"kristoffer-m20j" wrote in
message ...

When ever possible I try to follow the same SOP as the BIG BOYS. With
that being said what is the SOP for airliners when it comes to turning
on the landing light. Is it altitude based, distance etc...

Kristoffer
1993 M20J MSE
http://homepage.mac.com/kristofferp/flying


--
kristoffer-m20j

On Sun, 30 Oct 2005 02:19:38 GMT, "Marc CYBW"
wrote in
_4W8f.91989$ir4.658@edtnps90::

I seem to remember a Flying article on an LED replacement landing light
"bulb" that lasted 20x or more regular bulbs - for almost the same price.

I'll bet a LED lamp would last even longer than that.

The standard early Cherokee landing light is a #4509 (13 volts). It
is a PAR36 sealed beam lamp with a tungsten filament (C6) rated at 100
watts with an average rated "lab life" of 25 hours, and initial
maximum beam candlepower of ~110,000. About $10/each from the source
below.

There is also a Quartz equivalent lamp #Q4509 with the same
specifications except a 100 hour life and 140,000 candlepower.


Wholesale pricing:


SUNRAY LIGHTING INC.
1 Whatney
Irvine, CA 92618
(949) 452-0900
(USA) 800-8-LIGHTS
FAX "TOLL FREE" (800) 255-3141

http://sunraylighting.com/


DISCLAIMER:
The lamps mentioned, while meeting the nominal specifications
required, may NOT BE IN CONFORMANCE WITH PMA REQUIREMENTS. Consult an
FAA certified A & P mechanic before purchasing.


I have no affiliation with Sunray Lighting other than as a satisfied
customer.

Before I had a car with automatic daytime running lights (05 Corolla), I
routinely turned on my headlights during the day. DRLs are mandatory in
Canada and many other countries. Motorcyclists keep their headlights on
during the day to enhance visibility. The "camouflage" theory is faulty.

Apples and oranges. On the ground, a landing light (or headlights)
will probably enhance visibility, even in the daytime. (Although, as
other posters have noted, not all the time.)

In the air, though, it's not so cut and dried. I found this on a
military history website:
************************************************** ******************
The post-war period saw interest in naval visual stealth and camouflage
declined further, although one USN initiative is worth analysis.
Codenamed 'Project Yehudi', this 1940's programme adapted contrast
lighting techniques experimented with during the First World War. By
attaching bright light sources to the outside of RN corvettes and the
Royal Canadian Navy vessel HMCS Trillium, First World War-period
technicians had sought to eliminate silhouetting effects.

The technique worked best during periods of haze, but changeable
weather meant that it was only effective for seconds at a time and was
negated by movement of the vessels. 'Project Yehudi' revived this
'active camouflage' principle by modifying TBM-3 Avenger and B-24
Liberator anti-submarine patrol and attack aircraft with similar
lighting schemes.
************************************************** ******************

So, I guess it all comes down to this: Are the benefits derived from
flying around with your landing light(s) on greater than the problems
encountered when you try to land at night with burnt-out landing light
bulbs?

:-)

(Must be why Lopresti can sell those danged Boom Beams for a grand!)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

To go back to the beginning of the thread then, Jay, why do the airlines
bother?

Bob

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
oups.com...
Before I had a car with automatic daytime running lights (05 Corolla), I
routinely turned on my headlights during the day. DRLs are mandatory in
Canada and many other countries. Motorcyclists keep their headlights on
during the day to enhance visibility. The "camouflage" theory is faulty.

Apples and oranges. On the ground, a landing light (or headlights)
will probably enhance visibility, even in the daytime. (Although, as
other posters have noted, not all the time.)

In the air, though, it's not so cut and dried. I found this on a
military history website:
************************************************** ******************
The post-war period saw interest in naval visual stealth and camouflage
declined further, although one USN initiative is worth analysis.
Codenamed 'Project Yehudi', this 1940's programme adapted contrast
lighting techniques experimented with during the First World War. By
attaching bright light sources to the outside of RN corvettes and the
Royal Canadian Navy vessel HMCS Trillium, First World War-period
technicians had sought to eliminate silhouetting effects.

The technique worked best during periods of haze, but changeable
weather meant that it was only effective for seconds at a time and was
negated by movement of the vessels. 'Project Yehudi' revived this
'active camouflage' principle by modifying TBM-3 Avenger and B-24
Liberator anti-submarine patrol and attack aircraft with similar
lighting schemes.
************************************************** ******************

So, I guess it all comes down to this: Are the benefits derived from
flying around with your landing light(s) on greater than the problems
encountered when you try to land at night with burnt-out landing light
bulbs?

:-)

(Must be why Lopresti can sell those danged Boom Beams for a grand!)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

"Marc CYBW" wrote in message
news:_4W8f.91989$ir4.658@edtnps90...
I seem to remember a Flying article on an LED replacement landing light
"bulb" that lasted 20x or more regular bulbs - for almost the same price.

LED bulbs would be unlikely to provide enough brightness to be a good
landing light.

Is it possible you ere recalling a HID (high intensity discharge) system?

There is a popular system, called a Lopresti boom beam, that is made for
such applications.

http://www.speedmods.com/Boom_Beam/b...am_systems.htm

It is more like a strobe light bulb, with high voltage discharging it so
rapidly that it looks like it is constantly on. They are also found in some
cars nowadays, and are identified by an unusual "blue" tint, and are very
bright, while drawing little current. There is no filament to break, so
they stand up to severe vibration, very well.

Some people have gone to the junkyards, and gotten lights out of donor cars.
They are said to be somewhat tricky, as the transformer and wiring is best
kept intact, since it is such a high voltage.

LED light are starting to see use as nav lights, with some kits being sold,
and some people home-brewing applications. No heat, no vibration problems,
very long life, low current drain. Hard to beat, if you get it right.
--
Jim in NC

To go back to the beginning of the thread then, Jay, why do the airlines
bother?

Help me here -- I can't find any reference in this thread to airlines
using their landing lights en route.

While landing and taking off, yes -- but I thought we were discussing
whether landing lights actually enhanced visibility outside of the
airport environment?
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

I hate those car lights!,
Oh they'd be great on my car while driving, but being in a car heading
into them I hate it! Blinds the crap out of me in my wife's low sitting car.
Doesn't bother me as bad in my truck.

Patrick
student SP
aircraft structural mech

"Morgans" wrote in message
...


It is more like a strobe light bulb, with high voltage discharging it so
rapidly that it looks like it is constantly on. They are also found in
some
cars nowadays, and are identified by an unusual "blue" tint, and are very
bright, while drawing little current. There is no filament to break, so
they stand up to severe vibration, very well.

Some people have gone to the junkyards, and gotten lights out of donor
cars.
They are said to be somewhat tricky, as the transformer and wiring is best
kept intact, since it is such a high voltage.

LED light are starting to see use as nav lights, with some kits being
sold,
and some people home-brewing applications. No heat, no vibration
problems,
very long life, low current drain. Hard to beat, if you get it right.
--
Jim in NC