Hello everyone,
I am curious as to why aircraft are not equipped with exterior rear brake lights? It seems like brake lights would a useful safety item especially when an aircraft is operating out of a busy airport.
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- chimborazo
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Re: Brake lights on aircraft
dfwjim1 wrote:Hello everyone,
I am curious as to why aircraft are not equipped with exterior rear brake lights? It seems like brake lights would a useful safety item especially when an aircraft is operating out of a busy airport.
Planes generally don’t taxy that close to each other like cars do and the pilots are paying attention unlike many drivers… plus they don’t move particularly fast when taxying. Some do but only when the taxy way is clear.
And if they did get a bit too close and needed to stop the brakes are exceptionally powerful.
Having a brake light system would be extra cost/maintenance/certification for marginal if any benefit.
Re: Brake lights on aircraft
There is an external brake light but it’s on the nosewheel landing gear.
It lets the tug driver know the parking brake has been released.
It lets the tug driver know the parking brake has been released.
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- arcticcruiser
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Re: Brake lights on aircraft
Can I have a really loud horn too? Could come in handy…
Re: Brake lights on aircraft
Will Southwest brake-check the AA plane behind them?
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- Starlionblue
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Re: Brake lights on aircraft
arcticcruiser wrote:Can I have a really loud horn too? Could come in handy…
There is a horn. We use it to call the engineer/mechanic.
I doubt it would be heard by another taxiing crew, mind you.
Re: Brake lights on aircraft
dfwjim1 wrote:I am curious as to why aircraft are not equipped with exterior rear brake lights? It seems like brake lights would a useful safety item especially when an aircraft is operating out of a busy airport.
Not really sure what the benefit would be, really. Given how far the plane ahead might be, how big would these brake lights have to be for the plane behind to see them. Even then, where would you put them. The back of a plane doesn't exactly have a large surface area that's flat. Additionally, planes aren't generally taxiing all that fast to where you couldn't stop quickly if needed.
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- Starlionblue
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Re: Brake lights on aircraft
AirKevin wrote:dfwjim1 wrote:I am curious as to why aircraft are not equipped with exterior rear brake lights? It seems like brake lights would a useful safety item especially when an aircraft is operating out of a busy airport.
Not really sure what the benefit would be, really. Given how far the plane ahead might be, how big would these brake lights have to be for the plane behind to see them. Even then, where would you put them. The back of a plane doesn't exactly have a large surface area that's flat. Additionally, planes aren't generally taxiing all that fast to where you couldn't stop quickly if needed.
Agreed.
We are taxiing relatively slowly. Ground is monitoring our position. Other planes area clearly visible day or night, unless it's low viz in which case ground will keep us far apart. If a plane is ahead, it's either stopped, or its relative motion is clear, and if it is not clear we slow down/stop.
Contrast with cars, which are not controlled by an ATC equivalent, and are barreling along in close proximity at far greater speeds than we do on the ground.
Re: Brake lights on aircraft
Was there ever a rear-end accident for the planes?
I can certainly remember wingtip events of various severity, there are some pushback accidents - but I don't remember anything about occupied cockpit damage in ground collision.
I can certainly remember wingtip events of various severity, there are some pushback accidents - but I don't remember anything about occupied cockpit damage in ground collision.
Re: Brake lights on aircraft
kalvado wrote:Was there ever a rear-end accident for the planes?
I can certainly remember wingtip events of various severity, there are some pushback accidents - but I don't remember anything about occupied cockpit damage in ground collision.
I guess this would come close.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeC1OwrBsS8
Yes, I realize the DC-9 had a hydraulics issue and there wasn't much they could do about it at that point.