navigation lights?

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
news:diUTf.41370$oL.35779@attbi_s71...
Come out to the clear and dry air in the moutain west; you can see them
for ten miles.

Maybe the airliners -- they've got some big-ass nav lights! (And some are
as bright as landing lights...)

But nav lights on a Spam can? From ten miles? No way. Not with my eyes,
anyway.

Okay...ten miles for everone else, 150 feet for Jay! :~)

"Jay Honeck" wrote

But nav lights on a Spam can? From ten miles? No way. Not with my eyes,
anyway.

I live somewhat near a VOR, and get a lot of traffic to and from it, flying
right overhead at my house.

In the summer I frequently sit outside with a cold one, and watch the planes
fly by. I can see them quite clearly at quite a distance, although I really
can't say exactly how far away they are.

I do see some airliners traveling overhead at somewhat over 15,000 feet, I
would guess, on their way to and from Charlotte.
--
Jim in NC

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message

I have always found it difficult-to-impossible to determine an aircraft's
direction of flight by viewing those itty-bitty green and red lights.

That's a bit disconcerting, Jay. Maybe a night/color vision check is in
order; and perhaps a sit-down with someone who knows how to look at things
at night, and review with you the patterns and what they might mean.

You ought to be able to see small aircraft nav lights at about five or six
miles, I would guess. At that distance, even if head on in a pair of light
twins, you'd still have about a minute, or perhaps a bit less, to recognize
and respond. That's a fairly long time.

In article ,
says...



"Jay Honeck" wrote in message

I have always found it difficult-to-impossible to determine an aircraft's
direction of flight by viewing those itty-bitty green and red lights.

That's a bit disconcerting, Jay. Maybe a night/color vision check is in
order; and perhaps a sit-down with someone who knows how to look at things
at night, and review with you the patterns and what they might mean.

You ought to be able to see small aircraft nav lights at about five or six
miles, I would guess.

Are you guessing then?
I agree with Jay - there are some situations where the position lights are
clear and easy to read, but many other situations where it is not at all clear
from these light which way a plane is going. This applies to airliners as
well, whose position lights often seem scarcely larger or brighter than those
of light aircraft. Few airliners have a really clear, white light in the back
to indicate they are moving away from you - exception made for the ATR's,
which have a gigantic "lantern" in the tailcone!

BTW - responding to the original question - It is correct to call them
"position lights" however we get used to calling them Nav lights because
that's what is marked on the little switch that turns them on in so many small
planes.

GF

"Greg Farris" wrote in message news:dvpchc$15e1

Are you guessing then?

Not really -- just estimating (based on 35 years worth of looking) because I
don't know the exact specification. You can bet that somewhere there is an
FAA spec telling manufacturers *precisely* the number of lumens, the
candlepower, and the distance from which the light must be visible under
specified circumstances of visibility.

......but many other situations where it is not at all clear
from these light which way a plane is going. This applies to airliners as
well, whose position lights often seem scarcely larger or brighter than
those
of light aircraft. Few airliners have a really clear, white light in the
back
to indicate they are moving away from you .......

You don't necessarily need to see the white light to make that call. That's
precisely why the specs call for different types of lights in stipulated
locations -- different colors, some steady, some flashing -- so you won't
have to see all the lights to make a determination.

Okay, let me restate the question. It is April 1942. Five Japanese
fighter aircraft are flying in formation to attack an enemy airfield
at dawn. Their lights are on so they can follow the leader and not
bump into one another. Before rolling in to attack, they switch off
the lights.

(If it matters, the fighters do not have air-to-air radio
communication. The lights serve that purpose as well.)

Would you call those "navigation lights"?

Thanks!


-- all the best, Dan Ford

email: usenet AT danford DOT net

Warbird's Forum: www.warbirdforum.com
Piper Cub Forum: www.pipercubforum.com
In Search of Lost Time: www.readingproust.com

Cub Driver skrev:
Okay, let me restate the question. It is April 1942. Five Japanese
fighter aircraft are flying in formation to attack an enemy airfield
at dawn. Their lights are on so they can follow the leader and not
bump into one another. Before rolling in to attack, they switch off
the lights.

(If it matters, the fighters do not have air-to-air radio
communication. The lights serve that purpose as well.)

Would you call those "navigation lights"?

No. Don't-bump-my-ass lights ;-)



Leonard

"Leonard Milcin Jr." wrote in message ...
Cub Driver skrev:
Okay, let me restate the question. It is April 1942. Five Japanese
fighter aircraft are flying in formation to attack an enemy airfield
at dawn. Their lights are on so they can follow the leader and not
bump into one another. Before rolling in to attack, they switch off
the lights.

(If it matters, the fighters do not have air-to-air radio
communication. The lights serve that purpose as well.)

Would you call those "navigation lights"?

No. Don't-bump-my-ass lights ;-)



Ohhhh...the dbmals...

On Wed, 22 Mar 2006 15:54:42 +0100, "Leonard Milcin Jr."
wrote:

Would you call those "navigation lights"?

No. Don't-bump-my-ass lights ;-)

How do you say that in Japanese?


-- all the best, Dan Ford

email: usenet AT danford DOT net

Warbird's Forum: www.warbirdforum.com
Piper Cub Forum: www.pipercubforum.com
In Search of Lost Time: www.readingproust.com

Cub Driver skrev:
On Wed, 22 Mar 2006 15:54:42 +0100, "Leonard Milcin Jr."
wrote:

Would you call those "navigation lights"?
No. Don't-bump-my-ass lights ;-)

How do you say that in Japanese?

I don't know, but I have friends here in Poland that
study Japanese. I'll ask them.


Leonard