LED External aircraft lighting

Started by Eclipse, July 14, 2013, 03:35:06 AM

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Eclipse

Saw my first aircraft with LED external lighting tonight - strobes, red and green, from the lighting temperature and brightness it was obviously
LED - couldn't tell what kind of plane or the livery.  Probably common but first time I'd seen it.


"That Others May Zoom"

EMT-83

Our newest G1000 has LED lighting.

PHall

LED's have become very popular. Much longer life, less power use and much brighter.
What's there not to like? :)

Critical AOA

The aircraft is a Boeing 787.  Possibly ANA.

"I learned long ago, never to wrestle with a pig. You get dirty, and besides, the pig likes it."   - George Bernard Shaw

Eclipse

Quote from: David Vandenbroeck on July 14, 2013, 04:38:25 PM
The aircraft is a Boeing 787.  Possibly ANA.

That one above is just a random image from the web when I searched for LED external lighting.

I'm all for this and LEDs wherever possible - they are finally coming into their own for general lighting use
after far too long in the "trying" phase.  I worked for, and still have stock in, a company that makes the substrate
that they grow LEDs on, so the more the merrier as far as I am concerned.

"That Others May Zoom"

bflynn

We've had an LED taxi light in one of our club Warriors for about 3 years now and the latest CAP 182 has two of them.  Very clever of Cessna, there's two in the wing next to each other.  When you're above a certain altitude (based on G1000 data), the two LEDs alternate in a wig-wag pattern for increased visiblity.  It's so good, I'm trying to figure out how to get two lights in the Warrior now...

Brian

Phil Hirons, Jr.

A lot of the traffic lights in my area went to LED.

For winter ice storms they are missing one side effect of incandescent lights, self de-icing. In some cases the lights were almost unreadable.

I wonder if we'll see this on aircraft?

Eclipse

Quote from: phirons on July 15, 2013, 05:06:22 PM
A lot of the traffic lights in my area went to LED.

In most cases the light pole will have to be replaced before the LED element will, though interesting "unforeseen consequence" with icing.

"That Others May Zoom"

scooter

CAP is gradually moving to LEDs for cowl mounted landing/taxi lights. We have some already. Much brighter then the incandescent bulbs. However unlike the old bulbs there are different landing and taxi light bulbs and there is a top and bottom to the bulb. If not installed correctly they will light up the wrong place really well.

CRAZEDpilot

It's amazing how Experimental aircraft and now GA have adopted it and it's making it's way to the big boys.  There are so many efficiencies both electrically and thermally, it really pays off to roll this out to larger fleets.

sarmed1

Interestingly, I saw a report from a few years back that there are (were) some problems with LED lighting, specifically red colored LED, being visable while using NVG's.  Wonder if that has been rectified or otherwise not an issue?

mk
Capt.  Mark "K12" Kleibscheidel

UH60guy

#11
I would assume aircraft that were going to be operated in an NVG environment would have that modified anyway- cant get away from the FAA requirement to have red/green position lights, but you can at least modify internal lighting to the blue/green that doesn't interfere with NVGs.

It is true though, the red position light is like a spotlight when under goggles- but you both learn to live with it, and use the lighting stipulation that regs can be bent when it's a safety of flight issue- the same way you may turn off the anti smash light in a dense cloud bank temporarily if it is causing illusions or otherwise interfering with the safe operation of your aircraft.
Maj Ken Ward
VAWG Internal AEO

PHall

Most aircraft that are operated using NVG's have lighting, both interior and exterior, that is NVG compatable.
The NVG exterior lights are not visable to the naked eye but show up very nicely on NVG's.

bosshawk

And if I remember correctly, NVGs are prohibited for CAP pilots.  In certain cases, others in a CAP aircraft may use them.
Paul M. Reed
Col, USA(ret)
Former CAP Lt Col
Wilson #2777

sarmed1

My helo service flys with NVG's, thats where the topic originally came up.  Especially in relation to some LZ marker light kits and more and more emergency vehicle lighting going to LED's. (red being a predominant color) 

mk
Capt.  Mark "K12" Kleibscheidel

PHall

Quote from: sarmed1 on July 19, 2013, 01:36:34 AM
My helo service flys with NVG's, thats where the topic originally came up.  Especially in relation to some LZ marker light kits and more and more emergency vehicle lighting going to LED's. (red being a predominant color) 

mk


Wouldn't you be off the NVG's when you're making the landing then?
Because all of those lights have made the NVG's pretty much useless.

SarDragon

Quote from: UH60guy on July 18, 2013, 04:56:34 PM
I would assume aircraft that were going to be operated in an NVG environment would have that modified anyway- cant get away from the FAA requirement to have red/green position lights, but you can at least modify internal lighting to the blue/green that doesn't interfere with NVGs.

It is true though, the red position light is like a spotlight when under goggles- but you both learn to live with it, and use the lighting stipulation that regs can be bent when it's a safety of flight issue- the same way you may turn off the anti smash light in a dense cloud bank temporarily if it is causing illusions or otherwise interfering with the safe operation of your aircraft.

Aircraft used in an NVG environment have additional NVG compatible exterior lighting. You can't even tell that it's on in the daylight, and barely in the dark, unless you are wearing NVGs.

The anti-smash is turned off in clouds because it can cause flicker induced vertigo. Not a fun thing, because you get really dizzy and want to puke.
Dave Bowles
Maj, CAP
AT1, USN Retired
50 Year Member
Mitchell Award (unnumbered)
C/WO, CAP, Ret

UH60guy

Quote from: SarDragon on July 19, 2013, 06:53:26 AM
Aircraft used in an NVG environment have additional NVG compatible exterior lighting. You can't even tell that it's on in the daylight, and barely in the dark, unless you are wearing NVGs.

That is true- though depends on the "environment" and your SOP and local area rules. At my last duty station, the military airfield was about 10 minutes from the range. We would be under FAA rules (class D, under class C shelf) and lighting from takeoff to the range, where we could drop to IR position/anticollision lights (and even then only if no one else on the range wasn't under goggles), but had to come back up red/green position and night-red AC light on the way back to the airfield. We stayed under goggles the whole time though. We also had some training areas- mostly practice confined space LZ's- well off the range where we had to stay up FAA lighting the whole time. Though in practice we'd sometimes shut off the lower AC light and position lights on short final, just keeping the upper red strobe on and using an IR searchlight to minimize flicker and uneven left/right lighting.

I don't envy your job trying to land around all those emergency vehicles under NVGs! That must lead to some interesting approaches.
Maj Ken Ward
VAWG Internal AEO

Pingree1492

When we did our night training in garrison, we were required to remain up with the red/green FAA lighting, but could use our IR searchlight instead of the white light if we were making off-airport landings.  Red light really does do an incredible job of illuminating everything in NVGs, so much so that many times the most experienced crew chief would sit on the left side (red side) during night operations instead of on the right.  It certainly doesn't make it impossible to land- it actually makes it a bit easier. 

I know I wasn't the only green crew chief flying downrange that was a bit surprised by the significant difference in visibility without those lights on the first few times going to the dirt. 

I also know how difficult it can be to land to an extremely light-up air field or area in NVG's.  Do you find yourself looking under the goggles for most of the approach if there are a lot of emergency lights?  Or can you get the ground vehicles to turn them off while you come in?
On CAP Hiatus- the U.S. Army is kindly letting me play with some of their really cool toys (helicopters) in far off, distant lands  :)