Let you know the airport lighting system [LED aviation obstruction lights]

Many friends have the experience of flying at night, and are naturally very familiar with the lights outside the aircraft windows. However, most of these lights come from city lighting. If you are more careful and observe the lights on the ground when the plane is circling before landing, you may find the lights from the airport runway. Have you ever thought that it is these easily identifiable and well-arranged lights that help the plane land safely on the ground and transport you safely to your destination?

Safe landing depends on it. Let me introduce you to the airport lighting system

Some people would say that now that automatic navigation technology is so advanced and aircraft electronic equipment is so reliable, it is not very simple to land at night? There is some truth to this, but it ignores the fact that the situation at the airport is always ever-changing, and an unexpected situation may cause the plane to fail. In situations of low visibility such as low clouds, fog or sandstorms, the airport's lighting system can help pilots land safely.

The first airport runway lighting system came into use in 1930 at Cleveland Municipal Airport (now known as Cleveland Hopkins International Airport). Today, the lighting system of the airport is becoming increasingly perfect. Currently, the lighting system of the airport is mainly divided into approach lighting system, landing lighting system and taxiing lighting system. These lighting systems together constitute the colorful lighting world of the airport at night. Let’s explore these magical lighting systems together.

Approach lighting system

Approach Lighting System System, ALS), is a type of auxiliary navigation lighting that provides a striking visual reference for the position and direction of the runway threshold when the aircraft is landing at night or in low visibility conditions. The approach lighting system is installed at the approach end of the runway and is a series of horizontal lights, flashing lights (or a combination of both) extending outward from the runway. Approach lights are usually used on runways with instrument approach procedures, allowing pilots to visually distinguish the runway environment and help pilots align with the runway when the aircraft approaches the predetermined point.

Approach center line light

Let’s start with the picture above. This picture shows the approach light system. We first look at the approach center line lights. Outside the runway, five variable white bright lights are set up in a row starting at 900 meters from the center line, extending to the runway. Road entrance. If it is a simple runway, the longitudinal spacing of the lights should be 60 meters and should extend at least 420 meters to the extension of the runway center line. You may want to say that the light in the picture is obviously orange. Well, I thought it was orange, but it is actually variable white. As for why it looks orange in the picture, you have to ask the photographer...

One of the five lights on the approach center line is located exactly on the extension of the center line. From 900 meters to 300 meters on the extension of the center line, they form a row of sequential flashing lights that flash twice per second. Looking down from the plane, this set of lights flashed from a distance and pointed directly at the end of the runway. It was nicknamed "rabbit" because it looked like a ball of white fur running towards the runway entrance.

Approach horizontal row lights

The variable white crossbar lights installed at an integral multiple of 150 meters from the runway threshold are called approach crossbar lights. The approach horizontal lights are perpendicular to the runway center line, and the inside of each side is 4.5 meters from the extended runway center line. In the picture, the two rows of white lights that are level with the approach center line lights and longer than the approach center line lights (you have to think they are orange lights, I can't help it) are two sets of approach horizontal row lights. These lights can firstly indicate the distance to the runway, and secondly, allow the pilot to correct whether the wings of the aircraft are level.