In the center of every airport stands a rotating beacon. Just as lighthouses once guided ships to harbor, the rotating beacon guides planes to airports at night. Once over the airport, there are a multitude of specialized airport lights that guide and direct airport traffic. These lights include runway lights, taxiway lights, obstruction lights, and lighted signs.
All of these highly specialized luminaires are essential to the safe takeoff and landing of planes.
Airport lights shine at different levels of intensity and are many different colors. These colors are significant and very important to safety and airport operations. Some colors designate the type of airport a pilot is flying into.
For example, green and white lights are used at civilian airports, whereas green and white flashing beacons are used at military bases. Yellow lights that then flash white light are used to guide seaplanes.
Ordinarily, airport lights are used from twilight at dusk until the following dawn. If weather conditions become unfavorable in the daytime and visibility becomes challenging, beacons will also be used to signal pilots the need to use their instruments for landing and takeoff (IFR) rather than relying upon visual guidance (VFR).
The most important types of airport lights are runway lights. The outline of the runway itself, as seen from the air, is marked by blue lights. Green is normally used to mark the approach end of the runway. Red lights mark the end of the runway.
In most civilian airports, lights along the sides of the approach end of the runway are white, but they gradually shift to amber as
the plane approaches the departure end of the runway. In order for pilots to see where the center of the runway is, recessed lights are installed down its centerline.
There is a threshold of approach at the beginning of each runway. This is the most critical area of the runway because it designates where the plane's final descent must begin. Strobe lights are used here to mark its location. Air traffic controllers directly control the intensity of these flashing strobes.
In times of poor weather and low visibility, pilots can radio the tower and have the strobe lights adjusted to their maximum luminescence. In clear weather conditions these airport lights are set to a much lower intensity in order to prevent the pilot from being distracted by too much light.
Airport signs are also very important to airport operations and safety. Color coding is used here to designate key areas of transit and boundary. Direction, destination, and boundary signs are characterized by a black legend on a yellow background. Mandatory instruction signs consist of a white legend on a red background.
Most taxiway and runway location signs, for example, are yellow legend with a black background in order to be prominently visible. Taxiway ending marker lighted signs are also yellow and black. One-half distance signs have a black background marked by a white legend.
Many types of airport lights are becoming increasingly and more readily available in solar powered and LED form. Talk to a commercial lighting designer about the availability and viability of these particular models for your particular application needs.
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