Av8torTom

Av8torTom

Well Known Member
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
 
Lighting Regs

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
 
Lighting requirements are the same for experimental and certified aircraft.
 
Thanks John

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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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lighting

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

John Clark said:
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
Click to expand...
 
Rudder Bottom

Hens07,

There is an option for a strobe on the bottom fiberglass rudder cap.
Thanks all - I'm assuming then that white strobes on each wing tip and on the bottom rudder cap will comply with anti collision requirements.

T.
 
Check out this .pdf file for the lighting diagrams.

The RV wing tips have cutouts in them for the red, green, and strobe lights. The rudder bottom has a fitting for the rear facing white light and strobe.

As noted above, the key word is "OR".
 
Beacon light

I found this old post because I have the same question as the OP and I don't believe his question was answered.
During my time in a 172, it is procedure to turn on the red rotating beacon when the aircraft engine is operating. Then turn on the strobes before t/o. Lights, camera, action.
I don't see a reference to a beacon on any builds.
Are they not really required?
Do people turn strobes on during daytime taxi to comply?
 
91.209(b) states: "No person may operate an aircraft that is equipped with an anticollision light system, unless it has lighted anticollision lights. However, the anticollision lights need not be lighted when the pilot-in-command determines that, because of operating conditions, it would be in the interest of safety to turn the lights off."

Easiest way to interpret/comply is to have the anti-collision lights (beacon/strobes or both) on from engine start to shut-down. The anti-collision lights are also a visual signal for ground personnel that the engine is turning (or about to, if the lights are on just prior to start), so it's safer to display lights from just prior to start until just after shutdown.

Note that provision is made to turn them off if, in the pilot's judgment, it would be safer to do so. For example, securing the strobes when operating in IMC, ground personnel operating in the vicinity of the plane at night, etc.

There is a good legal discussion of this topic in the September issue of AOPA pilot where John Yodice details the FAA chief legal counsel's current interpretation of the rule (which really comes down to the the intepretation of the word "operate"). Turns out, it's not required to display the lights prior to start, but "operating" is defined as start, therefore lights should be on once the engine is running until it is secured. I think his summary sums it up best: "So, for you hangar flying lawyers, although it is ordinarily safer to turn on the anticollision lights prior to engine start, it is not required by FAR 91.209(b); and for aircraft that have both a rotating beacon and strobe lights, while both are part of the same anti-collision light system, one or both can remain unlighted during aircraft operation, within the safety discretion of the pilot in command."

Cheers,

Vac
 
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MarkW said:
...During my time in a 172, it is procedure to turn on the red rotating beacon when the aircraft engine is operating. Then turn on the strobes before t/o. Lights, camera, action.
I don't see a reference to a beacon on any builds...
Click to expand...

Based on the airline practice of only running anti-collision system when in the "runway environment" or in flight, I don't think anti-collision systems are needed for ground or taxi operations.

On my airplane I have two wingtip strobes which satisfy the "anticollision" requirement 100%. Since I'm using a Whelen 413 power supply, I also have a switched "spare" output. I have added a red belly strobe to this output. For ground operation, the red belly strobe is running primarily to warn people of the propeller hazard. When I taxi onto the runway, the wing tip strobes are added for the flight. On landing, the wing tips are once again extinguished when I exit the runway environment.

Also, though the belly/wingtips can be switched off from the cockpit, I always leave the belly strobe on. It makes it hard to walk away from the airplane with the battery switch left on.
 
Beacon

Vac,
Does that mean that you have a beacon?
If not does that mean you use strobes for daytime taxi?

Michael,
Your proceedure is the one I was taught and use in a 172. My understanding is that most RV's don't have a beacon. What then?
 
Whelen makes a rear nav light/strobe combo. part number is A500AV14 (the V is for vertical and can be H for hroizontal orientation and the 14 can be 28 for 28V systems). This way one light can be Nav and anti-collision. I retrofitted it into my -10 and it works great.
 
Hi Mark,

The reg accomodates strobes and/or beacon used to meet anti-collision lighting requirements.

I only have strobes. My strobes are on from just prior to engine start until shutdown unless safety dictates otherwise. This means effectively "always on" during daylight (assuming normal ops).

Cheers,

Vac
 
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MarkW said:
...Michael,
Your proceedure is the one I was taught and use in a 172. My understanding is that most RV's don't have a beacon. What then?
Click to expand...

I certainly could be wrong, but it is my understanding that an anti-collision system (strobes, flasher, beacon, etc) is not required outside of the "flight environment". Even if so, then the "out" given for the PIC covers me on the ground. I hate getting flashed in the face at night by another pilot using strobes during taxi, so I don't inflict that on other pilots either. IMO, it's unsafe and rude.

The fact that I have a "ground recognition" strobe on one of my airplanes is simply going above and beyond the requirement. That said, the -8 I fly has a 3 light anti collision strobe system which is on or off, so it is off until I enter the runway. My process is the same night or day. As you say: "lights, camera, action".
 
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