Has anyone ever seen a tri-color VASI in real life?

captain_ricky

captain_ricky

Filing Flight Plan
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Jul 11, 2019
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Ricky_231
Catching up on lights and markings for my CFI written and sure enough this pops up again... do they even exist?
 
I saw one when flying commercial once. It was very foggy and you could actually see all the different colors in the fog. That was cool!
 
You also have to search for "tricolor" as well as "tri-color".

Surprising how many of them are turf and/or private.
 
They're around. C81 (Grayslake, IL) and 1C1 (Paxton, il) are two I've "used". The problem is you see them so seldom it's hard to remember what means what.

The PVASIs also always catch me by surprise.
 
Once so long ago I don’t remember where it was. And it was on a crosswind runway. The main runway had VASIs.
 
I've always been surprised there is this much variation in glideslope indicators. Everything else in aviation is about standardization.
 
I can't say that I've ever seen one, but my list of airports is a bit limited.
 
Jim K said:
They're around. C81 (Grayslake, IL) and 1C1 (Paxton, il) are two I've "used". The problem is you see them so seldom it's hard to remember what means what.

The PVASIs also always catch me by surprise.
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I keep meaning to go to Paxton so I can see it.
 
Jim K said:
They're around. C81 (Grayslake, IL) and 1C1 (Paxton, il) are two I've "used". The problem is you see them so seldom it's hard to remember what means what.

The PVASIs also always catch me by surprise.
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Lived in Round lake for a sort time when I had the Sport and tied down at Grayslake. I was working in Alaska and flew the Sport to Juneau. Probably made less than a dozen flights out of C81. I remember a big dip in the runway about the time I would rotate
 
AKBill said:
Lived in Round lake for a sort time when I had the Sport and tied down at Grayslake. I was working in Alaska and flew the Sport to Juneau. Probably made less than a dozen flights out of C81. I remember a big dip in the runway about the time I would rotate
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Only been there once so I could put a pin in the map. It's surrounded by McMansions. Junk sitting around everywhere, grass needed mowed, barely looked like an airport. I don't think it'll be around much longer.
 
Jim K said:
If it's amber do you go up or down?
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There is that pesky ol' false amber between red and green. For those wondering, Amber is above, Green is on, Red is below. BUT, there is a very narrow slice where Amber shows between Green and Red
 
IIRC they used to have one at 6B6. I was based there at the time. PAPI on 21 now.
 
Hell, I don’t even see a VASI anymore. It’s all PAPI.
 
There are currently 21 fields (29 runways) with tri-color VASI. They're being phased out; only PAPI is approved for new installations.
29 08R Richmond
28 0G0 North Buffalo Suburban
35 0TE4 Hilltop Lakes
36 1C1 Paxton
15 2A6 Holly Grove Municipal
33 2A6 Holly Grove Municipal
16 2O3 Angwin-Parrett Field
34 2O3 Angwin-Parrett Field
01 3M8 North Pickens
19 3M8 North Pickens
23 5I4 Sheridan
17 5V4 Calhan
35 9K7 Ellsworth Municipal
09 C81 Campbell
27 C81 Campbell
35 CA92 Paradise Skypark
16 FD38 Wellington Aero Club
17 K08 Holly
35 K08 Holly
13 MD31 Forest Hill
31 MD31 Forest Hill
19 N97 Hiatt
30 O20 Kingdon Airpark
17 T56 Eagle's Nest Estates
35 T56 Eagle's Nest Estates
21 U01 American Falls
16 U78 Allen H Tigert
34 U78 Allen H Tigert
28 W24 Falwell
 
dgish said:
There are currently 21 fields (29 runways) with tri-color VASI. They're being phased out; only PAPI is approved for new installations.
29 08R Richmond
28 0G0 North Buffalo Suburban
35 0TE4 Hilltop Lakes
36 1C1 Paxton
15 2A6 Holly Grove Municipal
33 2A6 Holly Grove Municipal
16 2O3 Angwin-Parrett Field
34 2O3 Angwin-Parrett Field
01 3M8 North Pickens
19 3M8 North Pickens
23 5I4 Sheridan
17 5V4 Calhan
35 9K7 Ellsworth Municipal
09 C81 Campbell
27 C81 Campbell
35 CA92 Paradise Skypark
16 FD38 Wellington Aero Club
17 K08 Holly
35 K08 Holly
13 MD31 Forest Hill
31 MD31 Forest Hill
19 N97 Hiatt
30 O20 Kingdon Airpark
17 T56 Eagle's Nest Estates
35 T56 Eagle's Nest Estates
21 U01 American Falls
16 U78 Allen H Tigert
34 U78 Allen H Tigert
28 W24 Falwell
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Helluva list, now please tell me you didnt spend the last 11 months since you joined POA compiling it manually
 
I actually have a three color portable military vasi in a travelling case in my hangar. I bought it at the EAA Aeromart a bunch of years ago. We keep meaning to set it up at NC26 some evening (I don't think it is bright enough to use during the daytime, I could be wrong) but we usually start drinking before nightfall so it never works out (Pablo's Cantina is right where we'd stick the thing anyhow).
 
Racerx said:
Helluva list, now please tell me you didnt spend the last 11 months since you joined POA compiling it manually
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Heh, no. I compiled it with simple DB query (to satisfy my own curiosity) and wondered if there was anything online to compare it with. Discovered this thread and thought I might as well contribute.
 
dgish said:
Heh, no. I compiled it with simple DB query (to satisfy my own curiosity) and wondered if there was anything online to compare it with. Discovered this thread and thought I might as well contribute.
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And how many have switched over to a standard VASI/PAPI but never updated the DB? ;)
 
Fearless Tower said:
Green good, Red bad. How hard is that to remember?
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So what do you do with flashing green/red (Light gun) - you proceed with extreme caution.. I have no idea what I should do if I get that signal...
 
dgish said:
Heh, no. I compiled it with simple DB query (to satisfy my own curiosity) and wondered if there was anything online to compare it with. Discovered this thread and thought I might as well contribute.
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Where is that Data Base you queried from? It probably has other interesting stuff in it. Is it available online?
 
flyingron said:
I actually have a three color portable military vasi in a travelling case in my hangar. I bought it at the EAA Aeromart a bunch of years ago. We keep meaning to set it up at NC26 some evening (I don't think it is bright enough to use during the daytime, I could be wrong) but we usually start drinking before nightfall so it never works out (Pablo's Cantina is right where we'd stick the thing anyhow).
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Could it be set up as a visual device to determine when you or others have had too much to drink.??

Green means you are standing so good to drive.
Amber means you might want to wait an hour.
Red means you have fallen down and should probably sleep it off where you landed.....
 
asicer said:
And how many have switched over to a standard VASI/PAPI but never updated the DB? ;)
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Your guess is as good as mine, but the A/FD agrees with the list for the ones I’ve checked.
 
luvflyin said:
Where is that Data Base you queried from? It probably has other interesting stuff in it. Is it available online?
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Sorry, it’s proprietary. Raw data can be had at the FAA website if you want to roll your own.
 
Hang 4 said:
So what do you do with flashing green/red (Light gun) - you proceed with extreme caution.. I have no idea what I should do if I get that signal...
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It is a safe bet you will never see the alternating red and green light signals. If I were a tower controller, I would assume the pilot would see the red or green first and act on that. Seems to be asking for a problem if this signal were used.
Jon
 
One of my more memorable VariEze flights was into Angwin. That was my first time seeing a Tri-Vas.
 
Zeldman said:
Green means you are standing so good to drive.
Amber means you might want to wait an hour.
Red means you have fallen down and should probably sleep it off where you landed.....
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And “false amber” means run around out back in a hurry because the line to the men’s room is too long?
 
Hang 4 said:
So what do you do with flashing green/red (Light gun) - you proceed with extreme caution.. I have no idea what I should do if I get that signal...
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I’m sure the day I get that light gun signal, it will be extreme turbulence and I’ll be trying to find the chart I have somewhere with the light gun signals while the plane is bouncing around.
 
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