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Kill the Strobes!

Old 01-11-2008 | 07:46 AM
  #21  
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People need to use some common sense. Unfortunately, common sense is not common.

During the day, are strobes really going to make you stand out on an active runway?

At night, are the two beacons most planes have enough to make them stand out? Even when given position and hold?
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Old 01-11-2008 | 07:51 AM
  #22  
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Here's another one:

When two taxiways merge at the approach end of a runway (such as Sierra and Sierra Alpha do at 27L in PHL) TURN YOUR FARKING LANDING LIGHTS OFF WHEN GOING INTO POSITION ON THE RUNWAY. That is much more blinding for the opposing crew (who likely are next in line for departure) than strobes.

Any time I cross a runway, the strobes are on. At night I'll use discretion given the situation...but if it comes down to me being lit up like a Christmas tree for safety while crossing ****ing you off...well you can get over it.
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Old 01-11-2008 | 08:15 AM
  #23  
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Originally Posted by Spooled
At night, are the two beacons most planes have enough to make them stand out? Even when given position and hold?

http://www.lafire.com/famous_fires/9..._B737Crash.htm
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Old 01-11-2008 | 08:21 AM
  #24  
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Originally Posted by texaspilot76
It took me 10 minutes after being blinded last night to regain my vision.
If it took you 10 minutes, then maybe you should get your night vision checked. Maybe not looking directly at them would have been more common sense.
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Old 01-11-2008 | 08:27 AM
  #25  
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(including light GA pistons) feel like they need to taxi around the airport with them on.
The Cirrus does not have a beacon, so the strobe becomes the regulatory anti-collision light that must be on anytime the aircraft is operated. We sometimes turn them off at night if they become a safety issue (distracting lights flashing), but in general, we have to taxi with them on.

If it took you 10 minutes, then maybe you should get your night vision checked. Maybe not looking directly at them would have been more common sense.
Exactly.
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Old 01-11-2008 | 08:40 AM
  #26  
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Originally Posted by 328dude
If it took you 10 minutes, then maybe you should get your night vision checked. Maybe not looking directly at them would have been more common sense.
I second that. One of the most annoying people I flew with was constantly complaining about how turning on my light so I could read the checklist for 10 seconds was "ruining" their night vision. Yeah, I like to run my lights dim, but for some reason, it seems like there's a lot of night vision "drama queens" out there.
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Old 01-11-2008 | 08:55 AM
  #27  
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While I completely agree (and my company requires) that strobes must be turned on when on any runway, whether crossing, TIPH, etc..., you guys are quoting the reg wrong.

91.209 (b): No person may operate an aircraft that is equipped with an anticollision light system, unless it has lighted anticollision lights. However, the anticollision lights need not be lighted when the pilot-in-command dtermines that, because of operating conditions, it would be in the interest of safety to turn the lights off.

The reg states that you cannot operate an aircraft with the anticollision (strobe) lights off. That would include taxiing, takeoff, cruise, landing, etc... The loophole is the second sentenance that addresses if its a matter of safety, then don't use them. That's why we usually turn them off, to not blind other pilots. But that level safety (not blinding someone else) gets trumped by the safety of operating an aircraft on a runway (turn them on when on a runway). A bit off subject, but that's why it is legal to turn strobes off at night in IMC...so you don't blind yourself and not see the screens/guages.
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Old 01-11-2008 | 10:02 AM
  #28  
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While I completely agree (and my company requires) that strobes must be turned on when on any runway, whether crossing, TIPH, etc..., you guys are quoting the reg wrong.

91.209 (b): No person may operate an aircraft that is equipped with an anticollision light system, unless it has lighted anticollision lights. However, the anticollision lights need not be lighted when the pilot-in-command dtermines that, because of operating conditions, it would be in the interest of safety to turn the lights off.

The reg states that you cannot operate an aircraft with the anticollision (strobe) lights off. That would include taxiing, takeoff, cruise, landing, etc... The loophole is the second sentenance that addresses if its a matter of safety, then don't use them. That's why we usually turn them off, to not blind other pilots. But that level safety (not blinding someone else) gets trumped by the safety of operating an aircraft on a runway (turn them on when on a runway). A bit off subject, but that's why it is legal to turn strobes off at night in IMC...so you don't blind yourself and not see the screens/guages.
However, for you guys, the beacon is a perfectly acceptable anti-collision light. Which is why that has to be on all the time. We, however, don't have a beacon.
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Old 01-11-2008 | 11:40 AM
  #29  
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Do you all have white day strobes only? We've got red night strobes on our BE20 and our SOP states the night beacon will be on at all times while on the ground (day or night).
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Old 01-11-2008 | 12:03 PM
  #30  
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I remember flying a bare minimum VFR Day/Night C-150 at TEB. It was really annoying to the corporate guys at night, but we need to have the "anti-collision" lights on according to the regs. and the strobes were the only ones.
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