Landing Light Performance

[XeVision]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NL6wjAoTEg

copy and paste the link for this informational video

The technical part about landing and taxi lighting ( Lumens, Lux Candela ) starts 25 seconds in, after a high quality video-graphic flying introduction.
Hope you all find it interesting and informational.
Dan

[Mjwatlanta]

I fly with all my lights on all the time. I want to be seen by other airplanes. In fact, the FAA encourages this conduct. https://www.faa.gov/regulations_policie ... h_ch10.pdf

Am I risking my lights fading out? Is there any other downside? They’re all LED lights so it’s really no draw on my power and the lifespan is pretty damn long. Thoughts?

[XeVision]

I fly with all my lights on all the time. I want to be seen by other airplanes. In fact, the FAA encourages this conduct. https://www.faa.gov/regulations_policie ... h_ch10.pdf

Am I risking my lights fading out? Is there any other downside? They’re all LED lights so it’s really no draw on my power and the lifespan is pretty damn long. Thoughts?

If it were me and as I do on my aircraft, I run the wingtip strobes all the time. I would run the landing and/or taxi lights in congested airspace and in hazy conditions, when cross country at VFR or IFR altitudes, I would not bother. You should have ADS-B in to monitor for other traffic.
The majority of moderate to High Power LED units dim over the first 20-30 minutes of use each time they are used. As for longevity, the LED's I've seen in the field on others aircraft, I often see water condensation under the front lens, when this happens they are soon doomed to failure from internal corrosion etc.. They are no longer sealed, not sure why this is happening so much, cracked lens etc ? I also often see one or 2 individual LED's in the unit, that no longer function. It really depends if you want to have to eventually replace them. In spite of so many claims, they seem to be getting replaced more often than marketing would suggest, either due to performance improvements or failures.

[Rich]

A quirk of FARs is that 91.209(b) requires the anti collision lights be on all the time, day or night:

91.209 No person may:

(b) Operate an aircraft that is equipped with an anticollision light system, unless it has lighted anticollision lights. However, the anticollision lights need not be lighted when the pilot-in-command determines that, because of operating conditions, it would be in the interest of safety to turn the lights off.

Not so with landing/taxi lights, though there are non-regulatory recommendations to do so. I keep in mind these are worthless for anti-collision purposes to the sides or behind. Only for those in front of you when they're not looking away. I'll use them selectively for this purpose depending on conditions.

[dmloftus]

Other than normal use of taxi/landing lights, I only keep mine on around crowded airports and busy airspace. And day VFR cross country, I rarely have any lights on. Who's going to see our anticollision lights in day VFR? I have a hard time visually picking up other traffic beyond a mile anyway.

[mfdutra]

And day VFR cross country, I rarely have any lights on. Who's going to see our anticollision lights in day VFR?

You know that's a violation right? You are required to have your strobes on all the time the engines are running, air or ground.

My position and strobes are always on, from engine start to engine shutdown.

My HIDs are always on below 8000 feet. I usually fly above that.

[Colin]

Strobes go on with my first engine master, because a CFI told me when people hear "Clear!" on the ground they look around for a strobe. I never have, but maybe that's true enough.

They turn off when the engine masters are both off.

Taxi light goes on as I taxi, landing light goes on as I enter the runway. I wish I had wigwag for landing/taxi but I don't know what that would do to the HIDs.

[XeVision]

landing light goes on as I enter the runway. I wish I had wigwag for landing/taxi but I don't know what that would do to the HIDs.

As long as HID's are warmed up about 30 seconds first, faster wig-wag can be ok for them. Each light on at least 1/2 second minimum and off not more than 1/2 second. We do about 60% on time and 40% off, better for HID than 50/50.
If the lights are close together, wig-wag isn't effective, they meld into a single visible unit within relatively short distances. Simultaneous pulsing is preferred in that scenario. When the lights are far apart out on wings or wingtips, wig-wag is effective.

[MichaelM]

You know that's a violation right? You are required to have your strobes on all the time the engines are running, air or ground.

Do you have a regulation reference for that?

Generally, I have been instructed to have the beacon on any time the aircraft is being operated, but that strobes are often not turned on until just before taking a runway, especially at night. 14 CFR 91.209(b) says that you need to have your anti-collision lights on (generally beacon and strobes, etc.) unless the pilot determines that it would be in the interest of safety to turn them off. I think many folks believe that strobe lights can momentarily impair the vision of other pilots, ground crew, etc. (Again especially at night) and choose to keep them off when taxiing.

So for me. Beacon on always. Strobes go on as soon as they can without being a nuisance to others. If it's a bright day out and no one is around I turn them on right away. If its darker or there are a lot of people close to me, I generally turn them on as soon as I am away from others... but for sure before taking a runway.

Seems like 91.209(b) would permit that, leaving it up to the pilot's judgment. I am curious as to what others have been instructed...

[chili4way]

Where is the Beacon on your Diamond located?
On my DA40NG, the strobes are the anti-collision lights.