Landing light location verses taxi

[Ron B.]

Any preference on which wing the landing light goes into ? One per wing, taxi will go into the other.

[Planecrazy232]

I had asked the same question and I went with taxi on left and landing on right.

[ChiefPilot]

Although I went through the same process, I rarely if ever have just the taxi light on. Both are on or both are off - I just don't really have much of an occasion for a "taxi light only" situation.

[nilberg]

Is this more of an issue for non 'A' models, especially with taxi lights ?

[Mel]

I use low beam left light for taxi, both high beams for landing.
My reasoning is that low beam directs the beam down and to the right.

[Ron B.]

Taxi on the left it is. Thanks Guys.

[rvbuilder2002]

Originally Posted by nilberg

Is this more of an issue for non 'A' models, especially with taxi lights ?

Yes.

A light aimed for use as a landing light wont light up much of the taxiway on a tail dragger. One can be aimed as a taxi light and the other as a landing light (then it also keeps the runway lit up during the round-out and flare during landing).

It also is bad manners to taxi around pointing at other aircraft at night with a landing light aimed directly into their cockpits. This is a good reason to have them aimed differently.

On a tri gear it is not quite as important, but something like a 6A that sits rather nose high it is still a good idea. I have the lights on my 6A set up this way.

[Kahuna]

I get asked this question a lot. And it really only matters on the side by side models where the taxi light makes more sense on your flying side. The Whelen taxi light models have a very wide beam that lights up everything in front of you while taxiing.