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Anti Collision Light ??

Nav lights are not anti collision lights. However the terminology used is 'anti collision lights'. What are strobes for? To keep people from colliding with you, whether it's in the air or on the ground. Wing tip and tail strobes provide the required visibility all the way around the aircraft, when properly installed. The wording in the FAR does not limit you to a beacon.

Web
 
Bearhawk Builder said:
Web, where are you guys buying AeroLed's, I"m seeing pricing all over the place. I would think pricing on these would be coming down over time.
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I wish I had one source to go to. I'm in the same boat as you, as I have to shop around for any particular model. Try to catch a sale or show prices.

Web
 
Try shopping with your eyes instead of looking for bargains. Anti collision lights need to be bright. Brighter is better. You can't see the difference in a catalog.

To the no electrics OP-
2- VisionX Solo Pod 2.15" for forward facing recognition using a MaxPulse flasher- 2@.83a
2- Whelen Orion wingtip nav/strobe comination (not synched)- navs- 2@.15a, strobes- 2@.35a (I never use the navs)
1- Aveo PosiStrobe on the vertical edge of the rudder- 1@.4a
1- Whelen 71080 flashing beacon on the rudder top- 1@.56a

With every light on- consumption is 3.62a total. Take out the navs and consider that the nose lights operate one at a time? 2.49a. All are more than adequate for daytime recognition. Very impressive, in fact.
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With tip lights and tail light all on those lights draw 1.4 amps. Not a difficult task for a correctly sized battery.
 
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TFBBnYK.jpg



Do you never fly at night? Or do the tip strobes flash red and green?

 
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I don’t fly at night. Don’t need to. The comment was cut from a different thread where load was the topic. The loads from the LEDs applied to this topic so I shared it.

My position lights don’t flash. Funny you say that since I’d never seen flashing position lights until a few days ago. Maybe I need to get out more. Or maybe its because I have a runway in my front yard now so I see more than I used to.
 
Was just wondering if flashing position lights were an option, trying to come up with best idea to make my plane legal and well seen day and night.. the only scary thing about flying is hitting another plane, I have seen some to close for comfort, all during cavu daytime.

Maybe because it was cut from another thread is why it would not let me reply with your quote, it kept saying illegal to many linked addresses, and there was not one link in the post, finally got fed up and snapped a screen of it and posted the pic of your post.
 
supercub1999 said:
Was just wondering if flashing position lights were an option, trying to come up with best idea to make my plane legal and well seen day and night..
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Flashing position lights are an option, just not as a replacement for anti collision lights. There is a difference in intensity. Position lights and anti collision lights are required for night flight.
 
Intensity is defined for airplanes TC'd after 1957 and those requirements are pretty low compared to current LED capability. What defines light output for pre-'57 airplanes? Why couldn't flashing nav lights work in that role, and even for some post-'57 airplanes? The 180 I saw a few days ago was hard to miss.
 
stewartb said:
Intensity is defined for airplanes TC'd after 1957 and those requirements are pretty low compared to current LED capability. What defines light output for pre-'57 airplanes? Why couldn't flashing nav lights work in that role, and even for some post-'57 airplanes? The 180 I saw a few days ago was hard to miss.
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Read the entire regulation. The date of manufacture has no bearing on the requirement for anticollision lights at night. Only as to the equipment installed on that date. All​ aircraft manufactured prior to that date must be modified in order to continue flying at night. This has been the requirement for many decades.
skywagon8a said:
No, read the entire regulation.
91.205(c)(3) An approved aviation red or aviation white anticollision light system on all U.S.-registered civil aircraft.

The second sentence tells you how to comply with the first sentence.

ALL Airplanes require anti-collision lights to operate at night. ​Wing tip and tail lights are navigation lights not anti-collision lights.
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Fair enough. I was hoping to find an answer to the inconsistencies in the regs and Whelen's regs summary. My plane's lit up like Christmas so I really don't care beyond a mild curiosity for guys with old no-electrics Cubs looking for simple compliance.
 
Here s a question my Dad asked the AOPA a number of years ago. He flies a 1949 Piper Clipper.

Question: I have an older aircraft that does not have an anticollision light system installed. Do I need anticollision lights to fly at night?

Under FAR 91.209 only aircraft position lights are required. Strobes are not required. FAA
Chief Legal Counsel has issued opinions stating strobe (anticollision) OR position lights. OR
is giving you the option. Since your aircraft is not equipped with strobes, installation is not
necessary.

Regards,

Larry Barnhart
Aviation Services Department
 
Mr Pierce

That letter does not agree with 91.205(c)(3). That line requires anti collision lights for VFR night ops without regards to date of certification or original equipment.

Web
 
91.209 doesn't reconcile with 91.205 but given the order they're in? 91.209 would supercede 91.205, right? Very interesting.
 
wireweinie said:
Mr Pierce

That letter does not agree with 91.205(c)(3). That line requires anti collision lights for VFR night ops without regards to date of certification or original equipment.

Web
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(3) An approved aviation red or aviation white anticollision light system on all U.S.-registered civil aircraft. Anticollision light systems initially installed after August 11, 1971, on aircraft for which a type certificate was issued or applied for before August 11, 1971, must at least meet the anticollision light standards of part 23, 25, 27, or 29 of this chapter, as applicable, that were in effect on August 10, 1971, except that the color may be either aviation red or aviation white. In the event of failure of any light of the anticollision light system, operations with the aircraft may be continued to a stop where repairs or replacement can be made.

The way I read this it is excluded because it was built prior to August 11, 1971.
 
Just throwing a question out, right now the plane has an inop red beacon on its back, a 1957 which does not require strobes, minimum is fix the inop beacon, but I am thinking that 3 flashing nav lights would make my plane more visible than replacing the one red beacon on the top of the fuselage. Anyone else have an opinion on that?
 
I'd say nav lights aren't 'anti collision'. Also, they won't meet the requirements for candle power of anti collision lights.

Web
 
Steve Pierce said:
(3) An approved aviation red or aviation white anticollision light system on all U.S.-registered civil aircraft. Anticollision light systems initially installed after August 11, 1971, on aircraft for which a type certificate was issued or applied for before August 11, 1971, must at least meet the anticollision light standards of part 23, 25, 27, or 29 of this chapter, as applicable, that were in effect on August 10, 1971, except that the color may be either aviation red or aviation white. In the event of failure of any light of the anticollision light system, operations with the aircraft may be continued to a stop where repairs or replacement can be made.

The way I read this it is excluded because it was built prior to August 11, 1971.
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That reg is as clear as 100 rvr. First our planes are not part 23 25 27 or 29, there is no mention of CAR, so that is misleading, and than you have to read it 3 times to try and understand one of the many interpretations.
 
Steve Pierce said:
(3) An approved aviation red or aviation white anticollision light system on all U.S.-registered civil aircraft. Anticollision light systems initially installed after August 11, 1971, on aircraft for which a type certificate was issued or applied for before August 11, 1971, must at least meet the anticollision light standards of part 23, 25, 27, or 29 of this chapter, as applicable, that were in effect on August 10, 1971, except that the color may be either aviation red or aviation white. In the event of failure of any light of the anticollision light system, operations with the aircraft may be continued to a stop where repairs or replacement can be made.

The way I read this it is excluded because it was built prior to August 11, 1971.
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Things that make you say 'hmmmm'. But it's still early morning here.

Web
 
Well, now the only thing I'm sure of is that if required, it's an operational requirement not a certification/equipment requirement. Just a minor distinction though.

Web
 
The way I read 91.205 and 91.209 is that if the Wright brothers or Glenn Curtis wanted to fly their original airplanes at night in the year 2019 they would be required to have both position lights and anticollision lights in order to be legal. More lights would be optional.
 
supercub1999 said:
Was just wondering if flashing position lights were an option, trying to come up with best idea to make my plane legal and well seen day and night.. the only scary thing about flying is hitting another plane, I have seen some to close for comfort, all during cavu daytime.....
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I have never spotted an airplane during daylight hours due to it's nav lights, either flashing or not, or due to it's beacon(s) or strobes.
I have however spotted on-coming airplanes from a long ways off due to their wig-wag landing lights.
Kenmore Air Harbor's been so equipping their Beavers for a long time.
Due to that experience, I put a flashing LED landing light on my old C180.
People have told me it makes my airplane visible from a long ways off, IF it's pointed at them.
 
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