Runway Edge Light Question

desertdog71

desertdog71

Girthy Member
OK, Runway edge lights are White except if an instrument approach then the last 2000 feet is Amber. According to the AIM anyways. However, I have only noticed this to be true at airports with a precision approach.

Anybody that can clarify this one? I may have not been observant enough but I know KIDP has the Amber lights but also an ILS. Other airports in the area have non-precision approaches and I had not noticed the difference in colors at these airports.

Thanks
 
desertdog71 said:
I think I may have an answer but I still want to hear your thoughts.
Click to expand...

It depends upon the runway designation. There are, I believe, 3 designation of runways, namely: Visual, Non-Precision and Precision.

It's the Precision runways that have the lighting arrangement you speak of, as well as other runway markings, such as Touchdown Zone for example.
 
Well here is the answer.

Any runway that has a published instrument approach is lighted in this way. For example we have a VOR/DME-A approach here but not specific runway. We also have a GPS 36 approach. 36 is lighted with the last 2000 being Amber/yellow. However going south on 18 they are all white.
 
desertdog71 said:
OK, Runway edge lights are White except if an instrument approach then the last 2000 feet is Amber. According to the AIM anyways. However, I have only noticed this to be true at airports with a precision approach. Thanks
Click to expand...


You just answered your question. Precision approach runways have amber lighting for the last 2000'.


atp
 
It appears I'm wrong-

http://www.faa.gov/ATPubs/AIM/Chap2/aim0203.html

also

2-1-4. Runway Edge Light Systems

a. Runway edge lights are used to outline the edges of runways during periods of darkness or restricted visibility conditions. These light systems are classified according to the intensity or brightness they are capable of producing: they are the High Intensity Runway Lights (HIRL), Medium Intensity Runway Lights (MIRL), and the Low Intensity Runway Lights (LIRL). The HIRL and MIRL systems have variable intensity controls, whereas the LIRLs normally have one intensity setting.

b. The runway edge lights are white, except on instrument runways yellow replaces white on the last 2,000 feet or half the runway length, whichever is less, to form a caution zone for landings.

c. The lights marking the ends of the runway emit red light toward the runway to indicate the end of runway to a departing aircraft and emit green outward from the runway end to indicate the threshold to landing aircraft.

from: http://www.faa.gov/ATPubs/AIM/Chap2/aim0201.html
 
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