Van's Air Force
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Lights not approved for night VFR flight
- Thread starter Webb
- Start date
Most likely a "red tape" issue.
Whelen makes that statement in the first sentence on their data sheet.
Mel beat me to it.
"Product does not meet the requirements of 91.205(c), required equipment for night flight.Airplanes certified for night operation should not consider this product."
"Product does not meet the requirements of 91.205(c), required equipment for night flight.Airplanes certified for night operation should not consider this product."
ummmmm. the standard inset wingtip light doesn't shine towards the read of the aircraft..............
Perhaps they meet the standards if a taillight (white and strobe) is installed?
Roadjunkie1
Well Known Member
The light kit with the tail light is still listed as "not compliant".
Begs the question: then what are they for if you can't use them to fly at night? That would be expensive just for good looks........ Maybe they have not gone through the necessary paperwork to have them approved. 
Yes, you must have another (tail) strobe to meet the requirements if your other two are inside the standard wing tips.
The actual FAR requirements are hidden inside the words ‘approved’. Usually the faa interprets this to mean, ‘meets the specifications as stated in some TSO document’, which would include minimum brightness standards at various angles, the minimum allowed solid angle coverage, maybe even vibration tolerance or RF noise standards? Meeting these involves a lot of engineering cost. For EABs the faa seems happy with ‘meets the performance standards’, or, ‘it’s brighter than other TSO’d lights and can be seen in all directions’.
The actual FAR requirements are hidden inside the words ‘approved’. Usually the faa interprets this to mean, ‘meets the specifications as stated in some TSO document’, which would include minimum brightness standards at various angles, the minimum allowed solid angle coverage, maybe even vibration tolerance or RF noise standards? Meeting these involves a lot of engineering cost. For EABs the faa seems happy with ‘meets the performance standards’, or, ‘it’s brighter than other TSO’d lights and can be seen in all directions’.
Just a guess: I think these lights are legal for ‘extra lighting’, e.g., if you had a conventional approved red rotating beacon up on the tail you would satisfy the night anti-collision lighting requirement. These would just be ‘extra’.The light kit with the tail light is still listed as "not compliant".
Statement from the manufacturer: https://vansairforce.net/threads/ne...-for-experimental-aircraft.51558/#post-385119
Jpm757
Well Known Member
Sounds to me that a bunch of us are flying illegally at night. My (non-tso) Aveo Zip Tips in addition to landing/taxi lights, there are position lights in the wing tip w/strobes, and white position lights w/strobes on the rear of the wingtip. It lights up like a Christmas tree!
Roadjunkie1
Well Known Member
Well, and who is going to know that the airplane that just landed and BLINDED everyone is running lights that are not legal?? Seems like they would have bigger fish to fry.....
rockyfatcat
Active Member
While I was reading up on tail light requirements for my project. I read all the must be visible from angles horizontally and angles vertically.
Obviously this light has not undergone the testing.
Obviously this light has not undergone the testing.
Jpm757
Well Known Member
The problem is the white position light mounted on the rear of the nav light. There are very few wingtips that will allow that location and provide visible angles from the rear. An easy solution would be to mold a white LED light into the trailing edge of the tip, and wire it into the nav light. I'm sure there are all sorts of mini 12v white LED lights available.
