If it takes you ten minutes to regain your vision, how in the world do you land the aircraft shooting an ILS to mins with the ALS and runway lights on max??? ALSF-2 are a hell of a lot brighter than a few strobes on an aircraft...

If a few seconds of exposure bothers you that much, what do you do when the strobes come on when the a/c is given take off clearance (presuming they didn't come on when given pos and hold)? Look away... If you're staring at the strobes, you have too much time on your hands. Why don't you go join an ALPA committee or something...

 

Talk to 10 Feds and expect 10 different interpretations...if it's in your ops specs then you do it. CYA is the name of the game.

 

I have a question for those of you that like your ice lights on when in position and for TO. Who exactly do you think can see those things?

 

This goes right into the whole- if it's in your manual, you do it. That said, I will try not to blind folks if they are holding short.

I use the ice light because it is just another light to see, and it's pointed in a useful direction (outward). Light bulbs are cheap- especially when compared with the costs of injury from evasive maneuver or collision.

 

The Ice Lights certainly are useful...like any other light on the aircraft. No need to justify it.

 

Exactly.

My philosophy has always been to do what the book says (using common sense of course). If you should have an incident/accident and it is discovered that you were not following SOPs, it's going to be harder to defend yourself. There are enough stressful things (along with some wonderful things) involved with this job. Why make it harder?

On separate note, if you routinely fly standard and in accordance with your company SOPs, in my opinion it makes line checks and PCs much less stressful. Of course you can always have a bad day or just bad luck, but I know some guys who experience a much higher level of stress at their jeopardy events because they are used to operating their way. When the day comes, they have to consciously make an effort to be standard which can be a distraction. I'm not advocating being unreasonably rigid and not using common sense, but overall I do what the book says.

 

Like Slice said above,

If something were to happen the first question will be did you follow SOP. If the answer is "No", then next question will be "Why ?" And, in answering, being a nice guy won't make the hearing go well.

Although Texas, I do agree with you common courtesy in the execution of SOP does go a long way.

FF

 

ok if you want the faa's answer on this read AC 120-74A states that ALL exterior lights should be illuminated when crossing runways. There is a sidenote that caution should be exercised for "forward facing lights" not anti collision lights. Besides what's the difference between a plane turning on strobes crossing a taxiway and one that is preparing for takeoff? Sounds to me like some people are just a little too whiny. No one is forcing you to look.

 

When the captain is taxiing the aircraft, he cannot look down or away. When we are right behind and another aircraft taxiing across a runway and his bright strobes come on without us aware he was going to do so, we will get blinded. The captain cannot stop in the middle of the crossing to look away, else he'd be sitting on the runway because he would have to stop taxiing. It is not always feasable. Anyway, I am tired of debating this. I guess both sides of the opinion have points.

Oh and Stryker, sorry about your Colts. I am still lamenting over my Cowboys. I was hoping that the Colts would have gone on. They would of had the best chance at beating the Patriots. No one wants to see cheaters go to the Superbowl.

 

My Giants actually have a pretty good shot if they play them the way they did in the final game. The Giants were very successful against the Pats for the majority of the game...just fell apart toward the end. Only team to score on opening drive against the Pats and 9 straight wins on the road this year so far. Would be a good game / re-match.