Aeroplane Landing Lights - the rules?

[wildcat45]

I was told years ago that commercial airliners have to show landing lights (The white lights on the wings) when flying below 10 thousand feet.

I live on the North East coast on the approach to Newcaslte Airport. The planes come over my house on the coast at about 17 hundred feet before turning west for final approach to the runway.

I have noticed at night recently many airliners not showing these lights. Some do, some don't.

I imagine in cloud at night it could be a visibility issue.

Or are the pilots just forgetting to switch them on?

Cheers

Dan

[Eric Mc]

Not compulsory - as far as I am aware.

Different airlines have different practices.

[MartG]

IIRC some aircraft have their landing lights mounted on the landing gear, so they can't be switched on unless the gear is down

[IforB]

It is highly unlikely that anyone "forgot" to put them on. Landing lights are the big headlight type lights.

SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) for most airlines is that they should be on below 10,000, but that is an operator thing, not a law thing.

One airline I worked for, our SOP was to put them on at 3,000. However, we were flying unpressurised turboprops and so 10,000 was our usual max operating altitude. We'd put them on when the airspace got busy and a bit of extra visibility is useful.

[knight]

Always fancied fitting an a/c landing light to a car, I think 600watts should get peoples attention

[Quick silver]

All that I know about 'landing lights' relate only to 'lame duck' procedures, specifically intended for aircraft with U/S comms/IFF or defecting enemy.

[Nickyboy]

knight said:

Always fancied fitting an a/c landing light to a car, I think 600watts should get peoples attention

Have you actually seen how big they are? Was watching How Its made the other night and they wee making the lenses for them, one was nearly 3ft across

[Papoo]

Nickyboy said:

knight said:

Always fancied fitting an a/c landing light to a car, I think 600watts should get peoples attention

Have you actually seen how big they are? Was watching How Its made the other night and they wee making the lenses for them, one was nearly 3ft across

I'd say that Kinght's can-do attitude is something you should aspire towards!

[knight]

Nickyboy said:

knight said:

Always fancied fitting an a/c landing light to a car, I think 600watts should get peoples attention

Have you actually seen how big they are? Was watching How Its made the other night and they wee making the lenses for them, one was nearly 3ft across

I can get my hands on Airbus landing lights as I work for an Airbus operator landing/take-off lights are the biggest and at a guess are about 10 inches wide There are smaller lights, and they are obviously less powerfull, but still about 400 watts depending on what their function is.