an equal opportunity university airport lighting brett malloy

An Equal Opportunity University

Airport Lighting

Brett Malloy

Overview

Characterization of the Ballast-Tie Interface

1. General Guidelines

2. Approach Lighting

3. Visual Approach Slope Aids

4. Threshold Lighting

5. Runway Lighting

6. Taxiway Lighting

General Guidelines


White Lights:

• Runway Surface Edges

• Runway Surface Centerline

• Runway Centerline on Approach

• Landing Zone

• Runway Approach Distance

• Visual Approach Slope Aid (Nearest Runway Threshold)

Red Lights:

• Runway Edges on Approach

• Runway Threshold in Opposite Direction (Wrong Direction)

• End of Runway in Direction of Operation

• Visual Approach Slope Aid (Farthest from Runway Threshold)

Green Lights:

• Runway Threshold

Blue Lights:

• Taxiways

Yellow Lights:

•Areas of Caution

Approach Lighting


• Intensity:

• Higher intensity is required for approach lighting systems (ALS).

• For visual range of 2000 to 2500 feet, outermost approach lights should be 200,000 cd

• 100-500 cd for approach lights closer to threshold

Approach Lighting


• System Configuration:

• Several Types:

• Calvert System

• ICAO Category II and Category III System

• High-Intensity Approach Light Systems (ALSF-2 and ALSF-1)

• Medium-intensity Approach Light System (MALSR, MALSF, and MALS)

Approach Lighting


• Calvert System:

• 3000 feet in length

• Series of single-bulb lights spaced on 100-ft intervals along extended runway centerline

• Six transverse crossbars of lights spaced on 500-ft centers

• Length of transverse rows diminishes as aircraft nears runway.

Approach Lighting


• ICAO Category I and Category II System

• Two lines of red bars on each side of runway at 30-m intervals extending out 300 m from runway

• Single line of white bars on runway centerline at 30-m intervals extending out 300 m from runway

• Two longer bars of white light at distances of 150 m and 300 m from runway

• Long bar of green light at runway threshold

• Also, it is recommended that long bars of white light be placed at 450 m, 500 m and 750 m from

runway centerline.

Approach Lighting


• ICAO Category I and Category II Systems:

Approach Lighting


• High-Intensity ALS

• ALSF-1

• Long transverse white light crossbar located 1000 feet from runway, 100 feet in width with 21 lights

• 2400-3000 feet long

• Sequenced high-intensity flashing lights located every 100 feet on extended runway centerline for outermost 1400 feet

• 14-ft crossbars of five-bulb white light placed at 100-ft intervals for a distance of 2400-3000 from runway

• Long bar of green light at runway threshold, extending 2-10 feet outward from runway and 45 feet outside of runway edge on each

side

• Two additional five-bulb crossbars of red light placed symmetrically about runway centerline at a distance of 100 feet from runway

to delineate edge of runway

• Two additional three-bulb red light crossbars along runway centerline at 200 feet from runway

Approach Lighting


• High-Intensity ALS

• ALSF-2

• Long transverse white light crossbar located 1000 feet from runway, 100 feet in width with 21 lights

• 2400-3000 feet long

• Sequenced high-intensity flashing lights located every 100 feet on extended runway centerline for outermost 1400 feet

• 14-ft crossbars of five-bulb white light placed at 100-ft intervals for a distance of 2400-3000 from runway

• Long bar of green light at runway threshold, extending 2-10 feet outward from runway and 45 feet outside of runway edge on each

side

• Two additional three or four-bulb crossbars of white light placed symmetrically about runway centerline at a distance of 500 feet

from runway, with 5-ft spacing

• Additional three-bulb red light crossbars placed symmetrically about runway centerline at 100-ft intervals extending 1000 feet from

runway

Approach Lighting


ALSF-1:

ALSF-2:

Approach Lighting


• Medium-Intensity ALS

• MALSR

• 2400 feet long

• Divided into two sections ：

• Inner 1000 feet is medium-intensity ALS portion , outer 1400 feet is RAIL portion of system.

• RAIL = runway alignment indicator lights

• 14-ft crossbars of five-bulb white lights placed at 200-ft intervals extending from runway centerline for a distance of 2400 feet from

runway

• Two additional 20-ft crossbars of five-bulb white lights placed at 1000 feet from runway, spaced symmetrically outside of 14-ft

crossbar forming a 70-ft single crossbar

• Additional sequential flashing lights for outermost 1000 feet

• Green threshold lights extending 10 feet outward from runway, and 10 feet outside of runway edge on each side

Approach Lighting


• Medium-Intensity ALS

• MALSF

• 1400 feet long

• 12.5-ft crossbars of five-bulb white light placed at 200-ft intervals extending from runway centerline for a distance of

1400 feet from runway

• Sequence flashers replace runway alignment indicator lights.

• Sequential flashing lights for outermost 400 feet, located at final three crossbar stations

• Two additional five-bulb white light crossbars placed 1000 feet from runway, spaced symmetrically outside of 12.5-ft

crossbar forming a single 66-ft crossbar

• Green threshold lights extending 10 feet outward from runway, and 10 feet outside of runway edge on each side

Approach Lighting


MALSR:

MALSF:

Visual-Approach Slope Aids


• Visual-Approach Slope Indicator (VASI)

• Used primarily to aid pilots in defining desired glide path during approach.

• Series of light bars running on ground adjacent to the side(s) of the runway

• Various VASI configurations, based on:

• Desired Visual Range

• Type of Aircraft

• Wide-bodied Aircraft Use




• Two types of bars:

• Downwind bar: Nearest runway threshold; will appear white if pilot is at proper height

• Upwind Bar: Farthest from runway threshold; will appear red if pilot is at proper height

• If pilot is too low, both bars will appear red.

• If pilot is too high, both bars will appear white.




• Various Configurations:




• General Bar Spacing, VASI-6 configuration:

Threshold Lighting


• Denotes runway threshold

• Vital in determining whether pilot will make decision to land or execute a missed approach.

• Green Lights extending out from runway (2-10’):

• Lights extend across entire width of runway in large airports.

• Four green lights are placed on each side of threshold in small airports.

• Appear green in direction of landing, and appear red in opposite direction to indicate end of runway

Runway Lighting


• Runway Edge Lights

• Generally elevated units

• Project 30 inches above surface

• White lights along the edge of runway

• Not more than 10 feet from edge of pavement

• Lights in final 2000 feet of instrument runway are yellow to indicate caution. (In direction of

operation)

• Spacing:

• 200-ft max longitudinal spacing

Runway Lighting


• Runway Centerline and Touchdown Lights

• Installed in Pavement

• Touchdown zone lights are three-bulb white bars.

• Located on each side of runway centerline

• Extend 3000 feet from runway threshold, or one-half the runway length for runways less than 6000 feet long

• Spaced at 100-ft intervals

• 36 feet from runway centerline on each side

• Centerline lights are also white.

• Spaced at 50-ft intervals

• Offset 2 feet from runway centerline

• Change colors in last 3000 feet of runway in direction of operation

• Last 1000’- Red

• Next 2000’- Alternate between red and white

Runway Lighting


Runway Touchdown Light Spacing:

Runway Lighting


Runway Centerline Light Spacing:

Taxiway Lighting


• Taxiway Edge Lights

• Elevated, bidirectional lights

• Blue

• Spaced at intervals of 200 feet on each side of the taxiway, with closer spacing on curves

• Located not more than 10 feet from edge of pavement

• Extend a maximum of 30 inches above pavement surface

Taxiway Lighting


Taxiway Edge Lights on curved and straight sections:

Taxiway Lighting


Location of taxiway lights on entrances and exits:

Taxiway Lighting


• Taxiway Centerline Lighting

• Taxiway centerlines terminate at entrances to runway.

• At taxiway intersections, the lights continue across.

• For long-radius high-speed exit taxiways:

• Taxiway lights extend onto runway from a point 200 feet back from point of curvature of the taxiway to point of tangency of the

central curve of the taxiway.

• In this arrangement, spacing of lights is 50 feet.

• Lights are offset 2 feet from runway centerline lights.

• Taxiway-Runway intersections in which planes must hold short of runway, several yellow lights spaced at 5-ft intervals are placed

transversely across taxiway.

Taxiway Lighting


Taxiway Centerline Light Spacing:

References


Federal Aviation Administration. A Quick Reference: Airfield Standards,

2nd

edition. FAA, October 2011. Web. 14 December 2012.

Horonjeff, Rob, and Francis X. Mckelvey. Planning and Design of

Airports, 4th

edition. Boston: McGraw Hill, 1994. Print.

an equal opportunity university airport lighting brett malloy

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