Engineering:Aviation light signals
In the case of a radio failure or aircraft not equipped with a radio, or in the case of a deaf pilot, air traffic control may use a signal lamp (called a "signal light gun" or "light gun" by the FAA[1][2]) to direct the aircraft. ICAO regulations require air traffic control towers to possess such signal lamps.[3][4] The signal lamp has a focused bright beam and is capable of emitting three different colors: red, white and green.[5][6] These colors may be flashed or steady, and have different meanings to aircraft in flight or on the ground.[5][2][7] Planes can acknowledge the instruction by rocking their wings, moving the ailerons if on the ground, or by flashing their landing or navigation lights during hours of darkness.[6][7] Air traffic control signal light guns are typically specified with a (white) center beam brightness of > 180,000 - 200,000 candela,[1][8][9] and are visible for roughly 4 miles in clear daylight conditions.[9][10][11] The table below describes the meaning of the signals.[5][2][7] The use of handheld combination red/green/white signal lamps for air traffic control dates back to at least the 1930s.[12]
Signal | Aircraft in flight | Aircraft on the ground | Ground vehicles or personnel |
---|---|---|---|
Flashing white | ICAO – Land at this airport and proceed to apron (this is not a clearance to either land or taxi. Clearances to land and taxi will follow.) FAA – Not applicable |
Return to starting point on airport | Return to starting point on airport |
Steady green | Cleared to land | Cleared for takeoff | Cleared to cross, proceed or go |
Flashing green | Return for landing | Cleared to taxi | Not applicable |
Steady red | Give way to other aircraft and continue circling | STOP | STOP |
Flashing red | Airport unsafe, do not land | Taxi clear of the runway in use | Clear the taxiway/runway |
Alternating red and green | Exercise extreme caution | Exercise extreme caution | Exercise extreme caution |
See also
- Navigation light
- Formation light
- Landing light
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Federal Aviation Administration (July 5, 1973). Gun, Signal Light, Portable, FAA-E-2214a Amendment-2. Department of Transportation. p. 5. https://faaco.faa.gov/index.cfm/attachment/download/22930. Retrieved 30 Apr 2017.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "TBL 4-3-1, Airport Traffic Control Tower Light Gun Signals". Federal Aviation Administration. https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/atpubs/aim_html/chap4_section_3.html#TBL_4_3_1. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
- ↑ Aerodromes: Volume I Aerodrome Design and Operations (6th ed.). International Civil Aviation Organization. July 2013. p. 8-2.
- ↑ Civil Aviation Regulations (CAR 001 – Aerodrome Standards & Certification Regulations) 2018. Kingdom of Bahrain Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunications. April 19, 2018. p. 68. http://www.transportation.gov.bh/sites/default/files/car001_2018_0.pdf. Retrieved May 12, 2019.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Rules of the Air: Annex 2 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation (10th ed.). International Civil Aviation Organization. July 2005. p. APP 1–3. http://www.icao.int/Meetings/anconf12/Document%20Archive/an02_cons%5B1%5D.pdf. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 "4-3-13. Traffic Control Light Signals". Federal Aviation Administration. https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/atpubs/aim_html/chap4_section_3.html. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 "3. SIGNALS FOR AERODROME TRAFFIC". European Union. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex:32012R0923. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
- ↑ Light, Airport Traffic Control, SDU-4/U, MIL-DTL-25971D. Department of Defense. February 18, 2015. p. 7. http://quicksearch.dla.mil/qsDocDetails.aspx?ident_number=18207. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 MICC Fort Rucker. "58--Tower Signal Light Guns". https://www.usaopps.com/government_bids/detail/ADP14422440980000347.htm. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
- ↑ "Signal Light Gun". ATI Avionics, Inc.. http://atiavionics.com/. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
- ↑ "LED Signal Light Gun". PPS Technical. http://www.signallightgun.com/. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
- ↑ Harding, W (June 29, 1937). US Patent 2,085,020 Combination Sight and Indicator for Traffic Control Projectors. USPTO. https://patents.google.com/patent/US2085020A/en. Retrieved 13 May 2019.
Original source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aviation light signals.
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