Runway lighting systems are essential for aircraft safety during landing and takeoff operations. They provide guidance and help pilots properly navigate runways. The document discusses various lighting systems including runway edge lights, threshold lights, approach lights, centerline lights, touchdown zone lights, taxiway lights, and visual approach slope indicator lights. Precision approach lighting configurations are specified for CAT I, II, and III runways to guide aircraft during instrument approaches.

1. RUNWAY LIGHTINGS
ABDUL RAHIM.K -B.Tech Aeronautical Engineering - BSACIST
HARICHANDANA.V - B.Tech Aeronautical Engineering - BSACIST

2. Why Runway Lightning?
• Cockpit visibility is an issue during the approach and landing
operations.
• Airfield solutions like airport runway lighting are important for the
safety and efficiency of flight operations.
• They control and help in the movement of the planes, playing a great
role in landing and taking off of aircrafts.
• Also, runway lighting would assist pilots in differentiating between
airport runways and major roads.
Department of Aerospace Engineering,
B.S.Abdur Rahman Crescent Institute of Science and Technology

3. Aerodrome and Approach Lighting
• An Aerodrome Beacon would normally be provided at those
aerodromes that operate at night and where the level of background
lighting, the surrounding terrain, the proximity of other aerodromes
or the lack of navigation aids would make the aerodrome difficult to
locate or to identify.
There are two types of Aerodrome Beacon:
1) The Identification Beacon
2) The Location Beacon.
Department of Aerospace Engineering,
B.S.Abdur Rahman Crescent Institute of Science and Technology

4. Identification Beacon
• An Identification Beacon flashing a two letter identification code in
green would normally be provided at an aerodrome where a number
of aerodromes in the same vicinity operate at night and confusion
could arise as to identity.
• Government aerodromes are normally equipped with a red
identification beacon.
• In General: Green at a civil land aerodrome
Red at a Military Aerodrome
Yellow at civil water Aerodrome
Department of Aerospace Engineering,
B.S.Abdur Rahman Crescent Institute of Science and Technology

5. Location Beacon:
• A Location Beacon would normally be provided at an aerodrome that is
situated well away from other aerodromes and where no confusion could
exist as to identity.
• The signal produced by a Location Beacon is determined by the amount of
background lighting as follows:
a) Where the aerodrome is also situated well away from areas of high
background lighting, the Location Beacon would display a white flashing
light.
b) Where the aerodrome is situated in an area where there is a high level
of background lighting, such as in the vicinity of a city where a flashing light
would be difficult to see, the Location Beacon would display a green light
flashing alternately with a white light.
Department of Aerospace Engineering,
B.S.Abdur Rahman Crescent Institute of Science and Technology

6. Approach Lights
• Provide navigation guidance to the runway and it gives Vertical and
lateral guidance
• A simple approach lighting system consists of a row of lights on the
extended centre line of the runway.
• It extends to at least 420m from the threshold (whenever possible).
• A row of lights form a crossbar 300m before the threshold.
• The length of the crossbar is 18m or 30m.
• The lights are normally white and lights shall be fixed.
Department of Aerospace Engineering,
B.S.Abdur Rahman Crescent Institute of Science and Technology

7. • Each centre line shall consist of either:
- A single source; or
- A barrette (three or more ground lights closely spaced together to appear
as a bar of lights) at least 3 m in length.
• This system may serve:
-A non instrument runway intended for use at night where the code
number is 3 or 4.
- A non-precision approach runway.
- A precision approach CAT I runway, only when it is physically
impracticable to install a precision approach CAT I lighting system.
Department of Aerospace Engineering,
B.S.Abdur Rahman Crescent Institute of Science and Technology

8. Precision Approach CAT I Lighting
It consists of a row of lights on the extended centre line of the runway
It extends to 900m from the threshold (wherever possible).
The crossbar is at a distance of 300 m from the threshold.
The crossbar length is 30m.
The lights forming the crossbar must be:
- In a horizontal straight line.
- At right angles to the line of the centre line lights.
- Bisected by the line of the centre line lights.
Crossbar lights spacing should be so as to produce a linear effect.
Gaps (kept to minimum and not exceeding 6m) may be left on each
side of the centre line.
Centre line lights should be spaced at 30m intervals.
Innermost light at 30m from the threshold.
Department of Aerospace Engineering,
B.S.Abdur Rahman Crescent Institute of Science and Technology

9. Precision Approach CAT II and III Lighting system
• CAT II and III lighting system consists of a row of white
lights on the extended centre line of the runway.
It extends to 900m from the threshold.
Two side rows of red lights extend to 270m.
It has two crossbars, 150m and 300m from the threshold.
The centreline and side bar lights must be placed every 30m.
Innermost (first light) at 30 m from the threshold.
The sidebars must be aligned with the touchdown zone
lights.
Department of Aerospace Engineering,
B.S.Abdur Rahman Crescent Institute of Science and Technology

10. Runway Threshold and Threshold Identification Lights
• Runway threshold lights are fixed green lights placed near to the
end of the runway (no more than 3 m from it).
Runway threshold identification lights are white flashing lights,
used for additional threshold conspicuity.
• ICAO Recommends that runway threshold identification lights
should be installed:
• At the threshold of a non-precision approach runway when
additional threshold conspicuity is necessary or where it is not
practicable to provide other approach lighting aids.
• Where a runway threshold is permanently displaced from the
runway extremity or temporarily displaced from the normal
position and additional threshold conspicuity is necessary.
• They shall be located symmetrically about the runway centre
line, in line with the threshold and approximately 10 m outside
each line of runway edge lights.
• They should be flashing white lights.
• They should be visible only in the direction of approach to the
runway.
Department of Aerospace Engineering,
B.S.Abdur Rahman Crescent Institute of Science and Technology

11. Wing Bar Lights
Wing bar lights are provided:
- On a precision approach runway when additional
conspicuity is considered desirable.
- On a non-instrument or non-precision approach
runway where the threshold is displaced and runway
lights are required but not provided.
Location of each wing bar is formed by at least five lights
extending at least ten metres perpendicular to the line
of the runway edge lights.
-The innermost light of each wing bar in the line of the
runway edge lights.
-They are fixed unidirectional lights showing green in the
direction of approach to the runway.
Department of Aerospace Engineering,
B.S.Abdur Rahman Crescent Institute of Science and Technology

12. Runway Touchdown Zone Lights
• Two or three lines of white lights.
Extend to 900m into the touchdown
zone or half the runway, whichever is
less.
They are aligned with the touch down
zone markings on the runway.
Thet are mandatory for a CAT II/III
runway.
Department of Aerospace Engineering,
B.S.Abdur Rahman Crescent Institute of Science and Technology

13. Runway Edge Lights:
• Fixed Lights.
White in colour except:
- In case of a displaced threshold, the lights
between the beginning of the runway and
the displaced threshold must show red in
the approach direction.
- A section of 600 m or one third of the
runway length, whichever is the less, at the
far end of the runway from which the take-
off run is started may show yellow.
Department of Aerospace Engineering,
B.S.Abdur Rahman Crescent Institute of Science and Technology

14. Runway Centre and End Lights:
• White from the threshold to
900m from the end of the
runway.
• Alternate red and White from
900m to 300m from the end.
• Red for the last 300m.
End Lights:
• Fixed, Red, Unidirectional lights
facing the landing aircraft.
Department of Aerospace Engineering,
B.S.Abdur Rahman Crescent Institute of Science and Technology

15. Taxiway Lighting
• At aerodromes equipped for low visibility operations green centreline
lighting is fitted on the taxiways.
• Otherwise taxiways use blue edge lighting.
• Most CAT II and III aerodromes have both.
• Where centreline taxiway lighting is used additional centreline lights
may be used to lead on to or off the runway centreline.
In this case, the runway exit markings must be alternating yellow and
green to the edge of the ILS sensitive area and green after that.
If the same taxiway is used to enter the runway they should show
green throughout for an aircraft entering.
Department of Aerospace Engineering,
B.S.Abdur Rahman Crescent Institute of Science and Technology

16. Taxiway Lighting
Department of Aerospace Engineering,
B.S.Abdur Rahman Crescent Institute of Science and Technology

17. Rapid Exit Taxiway Indicator Lights
• Rapid exit taxiway indicator lights (RETILs)
provide pilots with distance to go
information to the nearest rapid exit taxiway
on the runway.
• This is to enhance situational awareness in
low visibility conditions and to enable pilots
to apply braking action for more efficient
roll-out and runway exit speeds.
• RETILs consist of six yellow lights adjacent to
the runway centreline and configured in a
three/two/one pattern.
• They are spaced 100 m apart.
• The single light is 100 m from the start of the
turn for the rapid exit taxiway.
Department of Aerospace Engineering,
B.S.Abdur Rahman Crescent Institute of Science and Technology

18. Precision Approach Path Indicator
(PAPI)
• The standard visual approach slope
indicator systems shall consist of PAPI
and APAPI systems conforming to the
specifications.
• One bar of four equally spaced lights on
the left hand side of the runway; or
• Two bars of lights either side of the
runway with four lights in each bar.
Department of Aerospace Engineering,
B.S.Abdur Rahman Crescent Institute of Science and Technology

19. Abbreviated Precision Approach
Path Indicator ( APAPI)
• Same as PAPI but the bar has two lights
instead of four.
• PAPI or APAPI shall be provided when
one or more of the conditions specified
in manual exist in accordance with the
following:
• PAPI shall be installed where the code
number is 3 or 4.
• PAPI or APAPI shall be installed where the
code number is 1 or 2.
Department of Aerospace Engineering,
B.S.Abdur Rahman Crescent Institute of Science and Technology

20. Visual Approach Slope Indicator
(VASI)
Department of Aerospace Engineering,
B.S.Abdur Rahman Crescent Institute of Science and Technology

21. Department of Aerospace Engineering,
B.S.Abdur Rahman Crescent Institute of Science and Technology

22. T-VASI
• It consists of twenty light units.
Ten either side of the runway.
They form a cross shape with:
- Six lights in line with the runway.
- Four across in a bar.
• When high on the approach:
- Four lights in each bar show white; and
- Depending on how high one is, one, two or three white lights
are visible beyond the bar.
• When on the correct path, only four bar lights are visible.
• When below the approach path:
- Four lights in the bar show red.
- Depending on how low one is, one, two or three red lights are
visible in front of the bar.
Department of Aerospace Engineering,
B.S.Abdur Rahman Crescent Institute of Science and Technology

23. Complete Runway Lighting is Explained
Department of Aerospace Engineering,
B.S.Abdur Rahman Crescent Institute of Science and Technology