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Runway edge lighting are used to outline the edges of
Runway edge lighting are used to outline the edges of runway
According to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and takeoff of aircraft". Runways may be a man-made surface (often asphalt, concrete ...
s during periods of darkness or restricted visibility conditions. These light systems are classified according to the intensity they are capable of producing:
* High intensity runway lights (HIRL)
* Medium intensity runway lights (MIRL)
* Low intensity runway lights (LIRL)
Many HIRL and MIRL systems have variable intensity controls, whereas the LIRLs normally have one intensity setting. At airports where there is a control tower, the tower will manage the lights to account for visibility and pilot preference, but some airports do not have control towers. These airports will have Pilot Controlled Lighting, or PCL, where pilots can adjust the lighting themselves by keying a microphone button a certain number of times.
The majority of runway edge lights are clear or white, but there are some exceptions to provide additional information to pilots in certain circumstances.
When an instrument runway lighting is designed, the last , or one-half of the runway length available (whichever is less), are bi-directional. They look white to the pilot approaching from the short end of the runway, but to a pilot approaching from the other end, who would be landing or taking off in that direction, they are yellow to indicate that the runway is nearing the end.{{cite web, last1=Houston, first1=Sarina, date=2017-11-11, title=Airport and Runway Lighting Systems Explained, url=https://www.thebalance.com/airport-runway-lighting-explained-282727, url-status=dead, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201032717/https://www.thebalance.com/airport-runway-lighting-explained-282727, archive-date=2017-12-01, access-date=2017-11-20, website=The Balance
See also
*Approach lighting system
An approach lighting system (ALS) is a lighting system installed on the approach end of an airport runway and consisting of a series of lightbars, strobe lights, or a combination of the two that extends outward from the runway end. ALS usually ...
* Pilot-controlled lighting
* Precision approach path indicator
A precision approach path indicator (PAPI) is a visual aid that provides guidance information to help a pilot to acquire and maintain the correct approach (in the vertical plane) to an airport or an aerodrome. It is generally located on the left- ...
* Runway end identifier lights
Runway end identifier lights (REIL) (ICAO identifies these as Runway Threshold Identification Lights) are installed at many airports to provide rapid and positive identification of the approach end of a particular runway. The system consists of a ...
* Visual approach slope indicator
The visual approach slope indicator (VASI) is a system of lights on the side of an airport runway threshold that provides visual descent guidance information during approach. These lights may be visible from up to during the day and up to or mo ...
References