runway lighting system

We will know the operation and characterístatics of airport runway lighting system and its great importance in the operationón aérea.

Post written by: Capturesán Rodolfo Estrella.
FAA Commercial Pilot
Twitter: @rodo_estrella

Given the recent events that involved the closure of 11 hours in a row from Guayaquil International Airport, We have found it appropriate to comment más details of this system, fundamental para la operationón continues from sunset, until dawn and whyé without this, the operations will be seenán forced to be suspended.

runway lighting system

the runway lights, más concretely, the air lightsóDromo are a set or systems of lights that serve as visual aids for aircraft and vehicles.íasses that operate inside the airóDromo, is a varíeven in its intensity, colors and locationón for their usefulness and are generally activated in the periods from sunset to sunrise on the day.íto the following or under conditions that require it.

Pilots in visual flight conditions confíyour situational awareness and orientationón to your bodily senses being the visionón which provides the 80% from informationón together with the proprioceptive system and the vestibular system, For this reason, visual aids are of great importance..

Track lights are of various types, diseñus y wasían de aeródromo in the airódromo por su tamañor and service that they provide. These lights provide informationón in the air initially for orientationón and locationóairport visual and directionón of the runway(s) to arriving aircraft and during their approachóIn the end there are lights that provide guidanceía vertical (tell riders if they are coming high or too low). And there are strobe lightsópikes that serve airódromes with precision approximationsón by instruments for low visibility conditions.

Under these meteorological conditionsóadverse logic, When an aircraft reaches its altitude mídescent spirit, la condición for landing is the sighting of, among other conditions, the runway lights.

During the takeoff roll and landing, Runway lights provide a visual aid to avoid losing orientation.ón, locate the center of the track and not lose track sense in general, variations in colors also indicateén the distance or proximity of the end of the runway or the límite of the thresholds.

For taxiing, other types of lights indicate the areas where aircraft can circulate without entering prohibited areas or entering the runway in use without authorization.ón. Airports often have areas where it is difficultícil transit, intersecting taxiways, track crossings, taxiways closed, narrow streets, borders, etc, These dangerous points must be carefully delimited and, particularly at night, they must be closed.ñalizados lumíOnly to avoid collisions with other aircraft and surrounding objects.

In uncontrolled airports, the PCL is usually found (pilot controlled lighting), the airódromo while he is awayá in use it keeps its lights off to conserve energyíhiméelectrical but these lights can be turned on and their intensity managed by the pilots during their approach.ón using a radio frequency.

The lights of the airódromo do not necessarily have to be turned on at night, but when visibility is reduced during the dayía by fenóless meteorolósuch as fog or haze, which is known as airóDromo under meteorological conditionsóinstrumental logic (IMC).

further, This system does not oblige or require airports to have alternate or back-up systems in case of any contingency., although there are airports that have B systems in case of failure of the main systems, usually, in storm zoneséctrics or prone to hay feveróless natural that can affect the functioning of the system.

Finally the airóDromos have an omnidirectional beacon-type rotating light that helps pilots find the air by its flashing.óDromo, are combinationsón of colors además helps identificationón de aeródromos militares, civilians, heliports or landing areas for seaplanes. These lighthouses are usually located in the area whereá located the control tower.