Airport lights
Most airports have some type of lighting used for airport night operations. The type and variety of lighting systems depends on the capacity of the airport and the complexity of the operation. Airport lighting is standardized, so airports use the same lighting color for runways and taxiways.
Airport lights are visual aids for approach and landing at night and complex weather, and are important auxiliary equipment for radio approach and landing systems. It has evolved from simply providing visual instructions and guidance signals for aircraft approach and landing at night to being used in conjunction with the radio approach and landing system to ensure aircraft approach and landing under low visibility conditions both day and night.
Introduction
The development of airport lights is closely related to the development of aircraft and aviation. In the mid-to-late 1930s, there were lamps that marked the boundary of the flight field or runway. After 1953, with the advent of large and fast turboprops and jets, pilots needed to find runways farther away, and the continuous growth of air traffic also put forward higher requirements for flight safety and flight regularity. All these have prompted the continuous improvement of airport lights in terms of variety, function, structure and energy consumption.
characteristic
The characteristics of the airport lighting system are composed of 4 main factors, which can be called 4 "Cs", namely configuration, color, light intensity and effective range.
Configuration refers to the position of each part of the system and the spacing of lights; color is to indicate different lighting systems in the airport to convey instructions or information and increase conspicuousness; light intensity is determined by the illuminance generated by light in the viewer's eyes Yes, if the light signal is too weak, the driver will not see it, and if the light signal is too strong, it will make the driver feel dizzy, so the intensity of the light should match the surrounding situation. The effective range refers to the various lighting systems of the airport. Due to different functions and different guidance methods, different operating distances and lighting angles are required. Here we only talk about some superficial views on some issues in the configuration of airport lighting.
The grade standards and configuration of airport navigation aid lights have been clearly stated in Annex XIV of the Convention on International Civil Aviation, but different airports have different grades due to different airports, the number of flight sorties, the quality of meteorological conditions, the location of the There should be a certain difference in the configuration of lights due to factors such as differences in the environment and the matching situation of navigation facilities. How to save investment and ensure flight safety, and coordinate with many factors in the airport, we need to study carefully. and clear questions.
Types of Airport Lights
While approaching and landing at a large airport, the pilot saw the following lights from the airport lights in sequence:
①Airport beacon. Installed in the airport, it emits a strong flash of white and green. One for each airport to indicate where the airport is located.
②Identify the beacon. Flashes green intermittently in prescribed Morse code. When there are several airports in an area, each airport will have one, and different codes will be issued to show the difference.
③ Approach lights. Also known as a glide light. According to the type of runway, the approach lighting system consists of a dozen to more than one hundred lights to help the pilot align the runway, adjust the aircraft attitude and judge the distance to the runway threshold; sometimes it is also installed on the center line of the approach lighting system A set of sequential flash lamps consisting of pulsed xenon lamps.
④ Slope light. That is, the visual approach light slope indicator system or the precision approach course indicator. Consists of a number of luminaires that emit red-and-white, well-defined beams in the vertical direction to help pilots check and correct the aircraft's approach slope.
⑤ Runway threshold lights. When the runway threshold is at the end of the runway, the runway threshold light should be set on a straight line outside the runway end that is perpendicular to the runway centerline and as close as possible to the runway end, and the distance should not be greater than 3 m; when the runway threshold is moved inward, the runway threshold light should be Set on a straight line perpendicular to the runway centre line at the inwardly shifted entrance. The runway threshold lights glow green and form a horizontal line to mark the runway threshold.
⑥ Runway center line lights. Installed on the runway centerline at a distance of 15 or 30m, emitting white light (red near the end of the runway), marking the runway centerline.
⑦ Ground with lights. Symmetrically installed in the 900m long runway surface at the landing end of the runway, there are 180 in total, emitting white light, marking the area where the landing can be carried out. ⑧ Runway edge lights. Installed on both sides of the runway, with a distance of 50 to 60m, and emits white light to mark the boundaries on both sides of the runway.
⑨ Runway end lights. There are multiple, mounted at the end of the runway, across the runway, and glowing red to mark the end of the runway.
⑩ Taxiway center line lights. Installed on the center line of the taxiway, with a distance of 15m, 17.5m or 30m, it emits green light to mark the center line of the taxiway; if it is changed to red or yellow light, it can form a stop bar or observe a pass bar.
⑪ Taxiway side lights. Installed on both sides of the taxiway, the distance is less than 60m, and emits blue light to mark the borders on both sides of the taxiway.
Installation method
According to the installation method, there are two types of airport lights: vertical and horizontal. According to the distribution of light in space, there are two kinds of directional lights and omnidirectional lights. According to the luminous intensity, there are three kinds of high, medium and low. Airport lights are structurally different from general outdoor lighting. For example, vertical lamps must not only withstand the huge blowing force of the aircraft wake, but also be dumped immediately when they are hit by an aircraft; flat lamps must be able to withstand the pressure of the aircraft and the alternating effects of wind, snow and heat. Due to the special requirements of airport lights on the structure, many countries have formulated strict lighting specifications and put them into practice.
