Top 10 Aviation Podcasts
Guides · 6 min read
Here we are going to share our views about what we consider to be the top aviation podcasts for any person interested in staying up to date and learning more about aviation.
An airport rotating beacon is an electrical rotating light assembly that is installed on the highest point of an aerodrome or airport. Pilots use beacon lights to identify the type of airport at night or with low visibility during the day. Beacon lights are identified by pilots according to the color of light.
Pilots cannot depend entirely on the airport beacon’s operation to determine whether weather conditions are IFR or VFR. An aerodrome beacon or aeronautical beacon is a device that is a vital component of night lighting at airports.
A beacon is a type of visual navigation aid (NAVAID) that projects flashes of light as information to pilots in the sky. This high-beam lighting device is the simplest yet most effective means of visual communication with pilots. It’s just like a traffic signal in the sky that enables pilots to identify the location and type of airport. The FAA has developed a list of regulations for airport beacons in the United States.
Beacons marking airports, landmarks, and marks on federal airways flash at a rate of 24 to 30 times per minute. Beacons marking heliports flash at a rate of 30 to 45 times per minute. Variations of colors help the flight crew in identifying the location and category of the airport by the color of light flash. Airport beacons are required for pilots attempting to land under VFR conditions.
Pilots learn the color spectrum and rotation of the beacon to identify the airport. An airport is identified by the color and flash of its beacon light. The following beacons are the most widely used worldwide:
If a beacon is turned on during the day, it means that the ceiling is less than 1000 feet and ground visibility is less than three statute miles. However, this practice is used by airports as a precaution and provides an extra layer of safety in communication between the cockpit crew and air traffic controllers. In Canada, the rules are a little distinctive. White single flash beacons with a rate of 20 to 30 flashes per minute are installed at lighted aerodromes.
Airport rotating beacon lights are required to be fitted at the topmost point of an airport. Therefore, it is necessary to construct the equipment with weatherproofing techniques. The casing of the lamp is designed to withstand strong winds, rainfall, snowfall, and even extreme heatwaves.
A robust rotating beacon construction should be equipped with lubricated moving parts. A high light beam lamp of at least 400W that is mounted 180° apart. The lamp housing should be adjustable between 0° and 10° above the horizon. A decent beacon should have a visual range of approximately 80 kilometers or 50 miles.
Moreover, beacons are designed according to local airport requirements, i.e., a winter airport should have proper temperature withstanding features and a snow or dust cleaning system.
Airport beacons are mounted at the highest point of the airport, so they are exposed to humidity, snowfall, rainfall, storms, and extreme temperatures. To keep the equipment working properly and safely, it is essential to maintain and inspect it regularly. A few essential maintenance procedures are regular inspection of equipment. During an inspection, the following steps should be followed.
An airport rotating beacon, also known as an aerodrome beacon or aeronautical beacon, is a beacon installed at an airport or aerodrome to identify its location to incoming pilots at night. Such beacons are mounted on top of other buildings at the airport, such as the control tower. It flashes different colors to inform pilots about the type of airport.
Yes, all airports with runway edge lighting and all heliports are required to be equipped with a functional rotating beacon.
AC 150/5345-12F-Specification for Airport and Heliport Beacons is an FAA document that indicates that the rotating beacon must be on during the night and during low visibility in the daytime, airport beacon lights must be on and function properly.
Flashing white and green lights are used at commercial airports. The colors of the beacon light help pilots identify the airport from the sky.