Aerodrome Lighting
Article Information
Category:
Ground Operations
Content source:
SKYbrary
Content control:
SKYbrary
Description
The majority of airports have some type of lighting to identify and mark taxiways and runways
and to control movements of aircraft and vehicles. The variety and type of lighting systems
depends on the volume and complexity of operations at a given airport. Airport lighting is
standardized so that airports use the same light colors for runways and taxiways.
The design and usage of civil airport lighting are provisions are addressed by:
International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO):
ICAO Annex 14-1 Aerodromes Volume I, Aerodrome Design and Operations
ICAO Annex 14-2 Aerodromes volume II, Heliports
U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA):
Advisory Circular, AC 150/5340-30J: Design and Installation Details for Airport Visual
Aids, 2018
International Electrotechnical Commission, IEC:
Technical Specification (TS) 61827:2004. Electrical installations for lighting and beaconing
of aerodromes - characteristics of inset and eleveated luminaires used on aerodromes
and heliports.
Control of Airport Lighting
Airport lighting is controlled by air traffic controllers (ATCOs) at towered airports. At non-
towered airports, the lights may be on a timer, or where a Flight Service Station (FSS) is located
at an airport, the FSS personnel may control the lighting. A pilot may request various light
systems be turned on or off and also request a specified intensity, if available, from ATC or FSS
personnel. At selected non-towered airports, an ARCAL (Aircraft Radio Control
of Aerodrome Lighting) system is installed. This system allows the pilot to control the lighting by
using the aircraft radio. This is done by selecting a specified frequency and clicking the radio
microphone a specified number of times within a specified time period (for example, 7 "clicks"
within 5 seconds on frequency 121.7).
Taxiway Lights
Omnidirectional taxiway lights outline the edges of the taxiway and are blue in color. At many
airports, these edge lights may have variable intensity settings that may be adjusted by an air
traffic controller when deemed necessary or when requested by the pilot. Some airports also
have taxiway centerline lights that are green in color.
Light Colours and Their Meanings at Runway Entrances
RED lights ahead of an aircraft or vehicle mean: it is unsafe to proceed beyond the RED lights. Thi
regardless of whether the lights are fixed, alternating or flashing and is independent of an ATC cle
RED means stop.
AMBER lights are used to convey a similar but less distinct message. They indicate that a potentia
AMBER beyond the lights, but that in conjunction with an appropriate ATC clearance it will be safe to proc
GREEN lights are often used to indicate the route to be followed by an aircraft or vehicle, particul
periods of reduced visibility. In all cases green lights are a routing aid and must only be followed i
GREEN with an ATC clearance.
Approach Light Systems
Approach light systems are primarily intended to provide a means to transition from instrument
flight to visual flight for landing. The system configuration depends on whether the runway is a
precision or nonprecision instrument runway. Some systems include sequenced flashing lights,
which appear to the pilot as a ball of light traveling toward the runway at high speed. Approach
lights can also aid pilots operating under VFR at night.
Visual Glideslope Indicators
Visual glideslope indicators provide the pilot with glidepath information that can be used for
day or night approaches. By maintaining the proper glidepath as indicated by the system, a pilot
should have adequate obstacle clearance and should touch down within a specified portion of
the runway:
Visual Approach Slope Indicator (VASI)
Precision Approach Path Indicator (PAPI)
Runway Lighting
There are various lights that identify parts of the runway complex. See the separate
article Runway Lighting for more details.
Lights Protecting the Runway
Lights on runways and at runway holding points have been developed to deliver warnings and
status indications to pilots and manoeuvring area vehicle drivers. See the separate
articles: Runway Holding Point Lighting and Runway Status Lights (RWSL).
Airport Beacon
In the United States, airport beacons are used to help pilots identify an airport at night. The
beacons are operated from dusk till dawn. Sometimes they are turned on if the Ceiling is less
than 1,000 feet and/or the ground visibility is less than 3 statute miles (VFR minimums).
However, there is no requirement for this, so a pilot has the responsibility of determining if the
weather meets VFR requirements. The beacon has a vertical light distribution to make it most
effective from 1–10° above the horizon, although it can be seen well above or below this
spread. The beacon may be an omnidirectional capacitor-discharge device, or it may rotate at a
constant speed, which produces the visual effect of flashes at regular intervals. The combination
of light colors from an airport beacon indicates the type of airport. Some of the most common
beacons are:
Flashing white and green for civilian land airports;
Flashing white and yellow for a water airport;
Flashing white, yellow, and green for a heliport; and
Two quick white flashes alternating with a green flash identifying a military airport.
Further Reading
European Action Plan for the Prevention of Runway Incursions, Edition 3.0
Pilot’s Handbook for Aeronautical Knowledge, Chapter 14: "Airport Operations", FAA,
FAA-H-8083-25B, 2016.
ACRP Report 148: LED Airfield Lighting System Operation and Maintenance, J. Burns et
al., Transportation Research Board (U.S.), 2015.
Categories
Ground Operations
Runway Excursion
Description
Runway excursions can occur on takeoff or on landing as well as during taxi. They consist of two
types of events:
Veer-Off: Excursion in which an aircraft departs the physical edges of a runway/taxiway.
Overrun: Excursion in which an aircraft departs the end of a runway
In view of the above, the articles related to runway excursions have been assigned to the
following sub-categories:
Overrun on Take Off: A departing aircraft fails to become airborne or successfully reject
the take off before reaching the end of the runway.
Overrun on Landing: A landing aircraft is unable to stop before the end of the runway is
reached.
Veer Off: An aircraft departs the side of the runway after touchdown on landing or
departs the side of the runway during line-up or the take off run.
To select a sub-category use the filter in the right data block. Because of their nature, some
articles are listed in more than one sub-category.
Showing below 80 results in range #1 to #80.
Filter by subcategory
Overrun on Take Off
Overrun on Landing
Veer Off
Related resources
GAPPRE
SKYclips
Read more
Changing Departure Runway While Taxiing (SKYclip)
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Changing Runways (SKYclip)
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Shortcuts and unstable approaches (SKYclip)
Read more
Speedcontrol for final approach (SKYclip)
Read more
Aimpoint Selection (SKYclip)
Checklists and Toolkits
Stabilised Approach Awareness Toolkit for ATC
IATA/ICAO Runway Excursion Risk Reduction Toolkit
Runway Excursion Risk Awareness Tool
ICAO Runway Excursion Risk Reduction Toolkit - Aerodrome Best Practice (2nd edition)
Research and Statistics
Runway Excursions Research - ATSB
Reducing the Risk of Runway Excursions - FSF
IATA Runway Safety Accident Analysis Report 2010-2014 1st Edition, 2015
Accident and Incident Reports
Accident and Serious Incident Reports: RE
Accident and Serious Incident Reports: RE
AIBN Surface Friction Study - The 30 Reviewed Events
Aircraft Load and Trim
Approach and Landing Accidents (ALA)
Approach Lighting
Aquaplaning
Baulked Landing: Guidance for Flight Crew
Beyond the Runway End Safety Area
Brake Problems: Guidance for Controllers
Brake to Vacate (BTV)
Braking Action
Braking Action Reports
Cross Wind Landings
Cross Wind Takeoff Hazards and Techniques
Deceleration on the Runway
DGAC (France) Publications on Non-Stabilised Approaches
Displaced Threshold
Emergency Landing - Guidance for Controllers
Energy Management During Approach
Engineered Materials Arresting System (EMAS)
European Action Plan for the Prevention of Runway Excursions (EAPPRE)
FAA Takeoff Safety Training Aid
Flying a Visual Approach
FMS Data Input Errors
Global Action Plan for the Prevention of Runway Excursions (GAPPRE)
Global Reporting Format (GRF)
Go-Around
Go-around Decision Making
Hard Landing
High Energy Approach Monitoring System
Hot and High Operations
Intersection Take Off: Guidance for Controllers
Intersection Take Off: Guidance for Flight Crew
Landing Distances
Landing Flare
Landing Gear
Landing Gear Problems: Guidance for Controllers
Landing on Contaminated Runways
Loading of Aircraft with Cargo
Low Visibility Procedures (LVP)
Missed Approach
Operations from Unpaved Runways
Overweight Landing
R
Reduced Thrust Takeoff
Rejected Landings
Rejected Take Off: ATC Considerations
Rejected Takeoff
Removal of Rubber on the Runway
Rudder Blanking
Runway Arrestor Gear Systems
Runway Availability
Runway Awareness and Advisory System (RAAS)
Runway Condition Codes (RCC)
Runway De-icing
Runway End Safety Area (RESA)
Runway Excursion
Runway Excursions Research - ATSB
Runway Identification
Runway Lighting
Runway Maintenance
Runway Misalignment
Runway Overrun Awareness and Alerting System (ROAAS)
Runway Overrun Prevention System (ROPS)
Runway surface condition reporting
Runway Surface Friction
Runway Visual Perspective
Runway/Taxiway Construction Risks
S
Short Vectoring and Glideslope Interception from Above: Guidance for Controllers
Short Vectoring and Glideslope Interception from Above: Guidance for Flight Crew
SNOWTAM
Stabilised Approach
Surface Friction Measurement and Prediction in Winter Operations
Tailwind Operations
Thrust Reversers: Flight Crew Guidance
Top 10 Stabilised Approach Considerations for Air Traffic Controllers
Touch and Go
Unstabilised Approach: Inappropriate ATC Speed Instructions
Use of Erroneous Parameters at Takeoff
