WillFly4Food
Pre-takeoff checklist
- Joined
- Nov 20, 2016
- Messages
- 207
- Display Name
Display name:
WillFly4Food
LOL -Yep, those are prerequisite conditions. If you use a kneeboard, many have that info printed on them.
Has anyone ever seen a tri-color VASI in real life?
- Thread starter captain_ricky
- Start date
LOL -Yep, those are prerequisite conditions. If you use a kneeboard, many have that info printed on them.
Rich Holt
Line Up and Wait
I remember, years ago, flying into a field that had the three boards (2 orange, 1 white) that was used for glide slope. I don't even think the AIM mentions those anymore. Anyone else seen one of those before. I think the one I saw was at Port Orchard airport in WA.
I actually got that signal a couple of days ago trying to taxi over to my mechanic's hangar. I lost communications at the hold short line, finally remembered about the light gun, and when I looked up saw alternating red/green. I was like, "Well...what the hell does that mean?" Of course I didn't have my knee board with me because I was just going to taxi to the other side of the field. The only thing I could remember was that one of the ground signals was "return to start." So, figuring that crossing an active runway while I was confused was not the best idea, I made a u-turn and went back to the ramp.
Tracked down a phone number for the tower. When I called they told me I had a stuck mic, and I told the controller that I was confused by what the red/green meant and decided to just turn around. She said, "Yeah, we were trying to give you a flashing green, but the kid working the gun was having a problem." I guess maybe both sides need a little more practice with that thing.
Mtns2Skies
Final Approach
- Joined
- Jul 12, 2008
- Messages
- 5,631
- Display Name
Display name:
Mtns2Skies
There was an airport in the coastal mountains of Northern California that was famous for being one way in and one way out and it had the plywood billboard VASI.
I went there just to see how well the VASI worked and it was amazing how accurate and easy to use it was.
I'll have to dig into my logbook to find it and it is probably long gone by now. There were tubes with electric lights in them also, but it was a daylight only system.
There must be something in the history books about it...
Jim Carpenter
Line Up and Wait
They had those at the different airstrips that serve McMurdo Station, 3 orange panels. I don't think a white one would show up too well there. (They had PAPIs set up, too.) Though, I only ever saw them from ground vehicles, never a pilot there.
I've seen controllers tack the red/green flashing signal on the end of other signals.
Green (clear to taxi); alt red/green (use caution).
Don't know why they think that's necessary. It should go without saying if you're using light signals and is more likely to add confusion than anything else.
I have seen that just about every time I have been NORDO. They give a quick red/green, then a long green, then another red/green.
Glideslope panels (see AIM 2-1-2-e, "Alignment of Elements Systems") are even rarer than tri-color VASI. Cheapness is the big advantage, but they're only usable on short final (3/4 mile.) Here ya go:
1N5 Bennett
2W2 Clearview Airpark
D49 Columbus Municipal
E05 Hatch Municipal
FRR Front Royal-Warren County
GVE Gordonsville Municipal
K19 Albany Municipal
N19 Aztec Municipal
W31 Lunenburg County
W32 Washington Executive/Hyde Field
W75 Hummel Field
The A/FD lists these systems as APAP(PNIL/R).
1N5 Bennett
2W2 Clearview Airpark
D49 Columbus Municipal
E05 Hatch Municipal
FRR Front Royal-Warren County
GVE Gordonsville Municipal
K19 Albany Municipal
N19 Aztec Municipal
W31 Lunenburg County
W32 Washington Executive/Hyde Field
W75 Hummel Field
The A/FD lists these systems as APAP(PNIL/R).
WillFly4Food
Pre-takeoff checklist
- Joined
- Nov 20, 2016
- Messages
- 207
- Display Name
Display name:
WillFly4Food
Wow, thanks for that. I’ve always wanted to fly into a field that had the billboard system. But looks like the nearest is in New Mexico. Hmm, might just have to think up a reason to visit that area this year.
I don't think I've ever seen a tri-color...but honestly I'm not sure. I don't think there are any of those on that list in my log book...but then maybe way back when there were probably more around....
ah, good old Hummel Field was on my school's "list" of frequent practice airports. Pretty sure there used to be more of those panels around in that part of the world when I was flying a lot in the 1990's. Thinking back though, I can say for sure I haven't seen one in a very long time....never gave it much thought other than once while on final someplace more recently thinking about the nice simple systems and why I haven't seen one in a long while.... i didn't know that they were so rare
ah, good old Hummel Field was on my school's "list" of frequent practice airports. Pretty sure there used to be more of those panels around in that part of the world when I was flying a lot in the 1990's. Thinking back though, I can say for sure I haven't seen one in a very long time....never gave it much thought other than once while on final someplace more recently thinking about the nice simple systems and why I haven't seen one in a long while.... i didn't know that they were so rare
I always referred to them as the plywood approach path indicators.