AirframeAS From United States of America, joined Feb 2004, 14150 posts, RR: 26 Posted (9 years 3 months 1 week 6 days 11 hours ago) and read 1433 times:
I got to ask this....at night time, you know how the anti-collision (red lights) and wing strobe lights flash. Well, tonight Ive seen countless HP aircraft and WN aircraft on approach that have the anti-collision lights flashing but not the white winglight strobe. Why is this? Some sort of safety procedure?
A Safe Flight Begins With Quality Maintenance On The Ground.
MD11LuxuryLinr From United States of America, joined Jul 2003, 1385 posts, RR: 16 Reply 1, posted (9 years 3 months 1 week 6 days 11 hours ago) and read 1378 times:
It's more of a safety precaution to have the white strobes switched on during takeoff, inflight, and during approach, not off. The red beacon lights should be always on from the time the plane leaves the gate to when it arrives at another. Most pilots do use the white strobes all the time, very few actually switch them off once they are on, especially at night. Though, I have seen aircraft not using the white strobes during daylight hours, in clear sunny conditions, which is when they are least effective. The only thing I can suggest in your case is simply coincidence.
Caution wake turbulence, you are following a heavy jet.
AA7771stClass From United States of America, joined Jun 1999, 293 posts, RR: 6 Reply 2, posted (9 years 3 months 1 week 6 days 11 hours ago) and read 1361 times:
The Tech/Op people would probably back me up in saying that the circumstances didn't favor using the strobes. Often times in clouds or fog, they hinder rather than help as they bounce off and can have potentially blinding effects on the flight crew. It might help on clear nights in the terminal area but it can also cause trouble if the flight crew doesn't like the weather around them...
AirframeAS From United States of America, joined Feb 2004, 14150 posts, RR: 26 Reply 3, posted (9 years 3 months 1 week 6 days 10 hours ago) and read 1323 times:
What I mean is that the white strobes are off during landing at night time in CLEAR weather conditions and I was asking why the pilots never bother to turn on the white strobes. I can understand why they could be kept off during the day (except for the red anti-collision lights which is mandatory per F.A.R.) which would be useless.
(Edited part: I ment to say in my first post.....In PHX this happens alot.)
[Edited 2004-03-09 04:04:50]
A Safe Flight Begins With Quality Maintenance On The Ground.
AJ From Australia, joined Nov 1999, 2376 posts, RR: 27 Reply 4, posted (9 years 3 months 1 week 6 days 10 hours ago) and read 1275 times:
Not all aircraft are fitted with strobes, older types in particular.
When strobes are fitted the aircraft can be flown on an MEL for unserviceable units.
Our SOPs call for the strobes to be on at all times inflight or on an active runway. Some operators (Kendell was one) call for the strobes to go off above 10000' to preserve strobing pack life.
AirframeAS From United States of America, joined Feb 2004, 14150 posts, RR: 26 Reply 5, posted (9 years 3 months 1 week 6 days 7 hours ago) and read 1166 times:
I know some NW DC9s have these weird light swingers on the wingtips, what are those called?
A Safe Flight Begins With Quality Maintenance On The Ground.
Je89_w From United States of America, joined Mar 2002, 2329 posts, RR: 10 Reply 6, posted (9 years 3 months 1 week 6 days 6 hours ago) and read 1134 times:
AIRLINERS.NET CREW PHOTO SCREENER
Any Airbus/McDonnell Douglas DC-10/MD-11 aircraft (never noticed on A300/A310 though) have their wing lights flicker twice in a row, where as for Boeing aircraft, only once.
Airbus' red anti-collision lights flicker more frequently than Boeing's from what I've noticed.
I don't know if it was me, but I remember going on a UA B772 where the pilot switched off the red anti-collision lights at night, and left the wing lights flickering.
LHcapt2007 From United States of America, joined Mar 2004, 235 posts, RR: 0 Reply 7, posted (9 years 3 months 1 week 6 days 5 hours ago) and read 1100 times:
Save our vision: turn off the strobes while taxiing at night but if you have em, use em in the air (except IMC). Reflections off buildings/objects on the ground, especially in the terminal area at night, can be quite annoying for everyone. It seems that most airlines have a great practice of turning those recog lights off b4 takeoff and after landing at night: Watch planes that are in line for takeoff, most lights are off for the courtesy of landing planes until it is time to put the petal to the metal.
With so many lights already on during approach, especially on clear nights where it is much easier to see, it would seem that most pilots(looking for this traffic w/o their strobes on) would have no trouble spotting these big boys anyway; I'm more worried about the little guys...
Skyharbor is beautiful, how bout those hot temps the other day?
SV777KiloAlpha From Saudi Arabia, joined Dec 2003, 266 posts, RR: 3 Reply 8, posted (9 years 3 months 1 week 6 days 2 hours ago) and read 1014 times:
I have noticed that many airlines do the following:
1. During taxi: Anti-collision lights (red)
2. Entering the active : Anti-collision + Strobes + landing lights
3. Passing 10,000ft: All off except, Strobes
LHcapt2007 From United States of America, joined Mar 2004, 235 posts, RR: 0 Reply 9, posted (9 years 3 months 1 week 6 days 2 hours ago) and read 974 times:
hopefully they left the nav lights(green + red on wtips) on so other traffic can tell which direction they're heading? Or did u mean strobes including the nav lights(position lights).
LHcapt2007
AirframeAS From United States of America, joined Feb 2004, 14150 posts, RR: 26 Reply 10, posted (9 years 3 months 1 week 5 days 15 hours ago) and read 813 times:
Nav lights stay on except on RONs. Its obvious to keep them on during the course of the operation of the airplane for safety reasons.
Airbus/McDonnell Douglas DC-10/MD-11 aircraft (never noticed on A300/A310 though) have their wing lights flicker twice in a row, where as for Boeing aircraft, only once.
The A320 family has TWO white strobes in each side of the wing. I found this out by watching very closely when an HP A320 left its wing strobes on at the gate one day. Theres two lights positioned next each other that gives a impression that the lights flicker twice with one strobe, it really doesn't. As for the MD aircraft, I dont know about how they set up their white wing strobe lights.
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