Nightime lighting regs?

[Av8torTom]

I searched the forum, but didn't really find a satisfactory answer. What lighting is required of experimental aircraft to be legal at night? I haven't seen an RV with an anticollision (rotating beacon) light.

Thanks,

Tom

[John Clark]

http://tinyurl.com/2cho6rr Covers the minimum requirements for Part 91 operations. Note that "Anti-collision lights" include strobes and rotating beacons. Strobes are more effective and not nearly as "clunky" as a rotating beacon.

John Clark ATP, CFI
FAA FAAST Team Member
EAA Flight Advisor
RV8 N18U "Sunshine"
KSBA

[Mel]

Lighting requirements are the same for experimental and certified aircraft.

[Av8torTom]

Forgive my ignorance here, but it sounds like an anticollision lighting system does not need to include either a red tail strobe or rotating beacon. Am I reading that correctly?

Thanks,

T.

[Hens07]

According to the FAR you will need one OR the other OR both (like most training aircraft seem to have). So either the strobes and/or rotating red beacon will work.

[Mel]

Anti collision lights must be visible 360° around the aircraft. The only acceptable "single" light system is on top of the vertical stabilizer. With this configuration often it will reflect off the top of the wing. This can be quite annoying on a low wing airplane. Other issue with this is that you have a blind spot forward and below you.
Wing tip strobes alone are acceptable if they can be seen from aft of the aircraft. If not, you must also have a tail strobe.

[jrs14855]

On older aircraft the rotating beacon is "grandfathered in". New built requires a strobe of a certain minimum intensity. Sport Aviation did an in depth article on lighting requirements a few years ago. The lowest drag, as well as cheapest, is a single strobe on top of the vertical fin.

[Hens07]

I just ordered my tail kit and am now intrigued... How/where are people mounting strobes/white lights in the tail? Any specific makes and models that are most common? Most of the time I have just noticed the wing tip lighting but haven't paid much attention to lighting on the tail...

[JDanno]

I like the part about needed an "anchor light".

Originally Posted by John Clark

http://tinyurl.com/2cho6rr Covers the minimum requirements for Part 91 operations. Note that "Anti-collision lights" include strobes and rotating beacons. Strobes are more effective and not nearly as "clunky" as a rotating beacon.

John Clark ATP, CFI
FAA FAAST Team Member
EAA Flight Advisor
RV8 N18U "Sunshine"
KSBA

[John Clark]

Originally Posted by JDanno

I like the part about needed an "anchor light".

Hey, just a heads up for building an amphib!


John Clark ATP, CFI
FAA FAAST Team Member
EAA Flight Advisor
RV8 N18U "Sunshine"
KSBA