Light use and protocol

[supanova]

I don’t think I’ve ever found information on proper use of lights - at what stage to turn each particular light on, when to turn it off.

What would be the proper point to turn each of the lights on and off during a typical flight?

[Eagle-Eye]

There isn’t one set of rules, AFAIK, and each squadron uses something different. In addition, it may also depend on your position in the flight, whether it’s day or nighttime, VMC or IMC, …

That being said, a good basic rule of thumb would be:
Steady = standing still
Flashing = moving, or about to

[Agave_Blue]

For BMS, we use Steady = Human; Flashing = AI and Landing Light On = Ready to taxi.

[Blu3wolf]

steady for stationary, flashing for moving. Turn taxi light on when ready for taxi, off again when stationary. On again to signal ready for TO.

[Falcas]

Taxi light when moving, taxi light off not moving.
Taxi light is also used for formation takeoff, indicating engine run up to 80%.

Strobes steady while on taxiway/ramp. Lining up on the runway switch to flashing.

Gr Falcas

[Amraam]

Belgium SOP’s (at least from EBFS) :
Steady when perform an action (during the startup, during the hold short checks).
Flash when ready (ready for taxi, ready to line up) and during the flight and taxi.
Strobe ON when moving, OFF when stopped.
Landing light when line up on runway. Due to the lack of Taxi light, in BMS we switch on Landing light at night / poor visibility condition when taxiing.

Night condition, In flight : in case of a 4 ship formation for example : 1 - 2 - 3 steady strobe off. 4 flash strobe on.

[Planehazza]

@Amraam:

Belgium SOP’s (at least from EBFS) :
Steady when perform an action (during the startup, during the hold short checks).
Flash when ready (ready for taxi, ready to line up) and during the flight and taxi.
Strobe ON when moving, OFF when stopped.
Landing light when line up on runway. Due to the lack of Taxi light, in BMS we switch on Landing light at night / poor visibility condition when taxiing.

Night condition, In flight : in case of a 4 ship formation for example : 1 - 2 - 3 steady strobe off. 4 flash strobe on.

Thanks for the info.

I still get confused when you post. I went almost a decade at Frugal’s as that username, so when I see a post by you I’m like “I don’t remember posting that?” ha

[Amraam]

Ahah, but maybe i’m you and you already turn out crazy? Who knows :p.

[Eagle-Eye]

@Amraam:

Belgium SOP’s (at least from EBFS) :

Funny… Unless you omitted a few things, I can already see a few (minor) differences with what we know is SOP in Kleine Brogel.

[Planehazza]

@Amraam:

Ahah, but maybe i’m you and you already turn out crazy? Who knows :p.

Would be cool. I hear Belgium is quite nice!

[Amraam]

@Eagle-Eye:

Funny… Unless you omitted a few things, I can already see a few (minor) differences with what we know is SOP in Kleine Brogel.

Nothing special. But could be also a squadron SOPs and not airbase SOPs?

[Eagle-Eye]

@Amraam:

Nothing special. But could be also a squadron SOPs and not airbase SOPs?

Not sure, our initial source was the OCU, and later we also got confirmation from 31. No info from 349. Do 1 and 350 use identical procedures? (perhaps this is better discussed in PM?)

[Blu3wolf]

Nuuu… is fascinating

[supanova]

Thanks for all your input.

As I understand it so far:

Position light to steady during ramp start
Position light to flash when ready to taxi, during taxi and in flight
Taxi light on when ready to taxi, during taxi, and when ready to take off (or when holding short ready to move onto the runway?)
Taxi light off when stationary

When do you turn the anti-collision lights on and off?

[Leech]

@supanova:

Thanks for all your input.

As I understand it so far:

Position light to steady during ramp start
Position light to flash when ready to taxi, during taxi and in flight
Taxi light on when ready to taxi, during taxi, and when ready to take off (or when holding short ready to move onto the runway?)
Taxi light off when stationary

When do you turn the anti-collision lights on and off?

Engine start: bright-steady, A/C OFF, TAXI OFF (A/C disturbs the crew chief especially inside shelters)
Taxi clearance: bright-flash, A/C ON, TAXI ON
EOR: bright-steady, A/C OFF, TAXI OFF
Line up clearance / departure : bright-flash, A/C ON, TAXI ON
During line up: TAXI OFF - Engine run up -landing light ON.

HAF SQN

[Fox3TwoShip]

I’m going to blow your mind STS with what we’ve done every squadron I’ve been in (during daytime):

NORM
BRT
FLASH
A/C - 1
Landing light on taking the runway; off when clearing the runway.

Boom…. Mind blown…

Edit: this is in a USAF squadron

[Leech]

Squadron standards may differ

[Blu3wolf]

@Fox3TwoShip:

I’m going to blow your mind STS with what we’ve done every squadron I’ve been in (during daytime):

NORM
BRT
FLASH
A/C - 1
Landing light on taking the runway; off when clearing the runway.

Boom…. Mind blown…

Edit: this is in a USAF squadron

Betting you guys use hand and head signals to communicate some of this stuff during the day though. Bit hard to do in BMS.

[Fox3TwoShip]

@Blu3wolf:

Betting you guys use hand and head signals to communicate some of this stuff during the day though. Bit hard to do in BMS.

They teach that stuff in UPT but I’ve never used it since. Comm everything… I think I’ve done a handful of comm-out tac turns, but that’s about it.