Pulse lights and when to use them

[DesertNomad]

I have just installed K2U wingtip LEDs on my Dakota. My nose light will always be steady but the tips can be steady or pulse. What is the best procedure for configuring these? I would think pulsing all the time except landing at night or taxiing at any time.

Thoughts?

 

[Jim_R]

i usually turn my HID wingtip lights off while taxiing at night, to avoid blinding other pilots (or car drivers, if there's a road nearby), unless I really need them to see where I'm going. The taxi light in the nose is normally good enough, especially if there is adequate airport lighting.

I don't have wig-wags, so my wingtip lights are steady ON from takeoff to landing, day or night. If I had wig-wags, I'd have them in that mode from takeoff until I reached my destination, and probably switch to steady ON sometime prior to landing.

 

[NJP_MAN]

We use pulse below 10,000 and the static landing light from 10k up to 18k. Then the lights go off.

 

[James331]

High traffic areas I go to pulse.

 

[Gucci Pilot]

If I had that setup I would do the steady nose for taxi(I assume that is the taxi light and angled more towards the concrete). Turn the flashing wing lights on when entering the active runway and turn them off once out of the airport environment. Coming in I would turn the flashing wingtips on about 10-15 miles out and leave them on until exiting the runway. Basically leaving the wings in pulse mode at all times. Standing out by the runway watching planes land when I worked line service, the pulsating and LED landing lights stood out way more than steady halogen lights. We don't have pulsating landing lights but our procedure is to have them on below 10,000 feet.

 

[Clark1961]

We use pulse below 10,000 and the static landing light from 10k up to 18k. Then the lights go off.

Pulse below 10k unless night. Pulse at night is distracting although it is very visible. Above 10K I turn all externals off but strobes and navs.

 

[Stewartb]

Pulse lighting is intended to enhance recognition by other aircraft to help avoid conflict. It only works if you use it.I use mine 100% of the time.

 

[mikea]

I use my incandescent in-wing lights below 4000 AGL, especially landings, takeoffs and taxiing to the runway.

At night the wings lights stay on steady. My problem is I get skittish because having all the lights on can blow the main breaker, and my master isn't split so I have to power cycle the main to reset.

I have the nose light on on landings and takeoff. I just remembered that I have the same nose light bulb that's been in there since I bought the plane 16 years ago. (Now I jinxed it.)

I wonder if I can replace those with LEDs some day.

 

[Ted]

My SOP is as follows:

Daytime: Engines on, lights go to pulse and stay there until the engines turn off.

Nighttime: Engines on, lights on solid for taxi, takeoff, departure, then to pulse. Go from pulse to solid for landing. Turn off when in clouds (it gets distracting).

 

[txflyer]

Love my wig-wags.

Me: "ground, Cessna 51S in the weeds ready to taxi VFR to the West"

Ground: " Cessna 51S I'm not seeing you yet "

Me: Ground, Cessna 51S wig wags on "

Ground: "Oh there you are! Cessna 51S taxi via Bravo to 35L and hold"



I use mine in flight but try to turn them off when the flying is over so I don't **** off people like a few on here who get ****ed off when you don't turn off your strobes and lights.

The poor things might look at a strobe or an H.I.D. and get blinded.