FAA Rejects Farnsworth Lantern Test

"Andrew Sarangan" wrote:
You may be correct in theory, but I can't remember the last time I had
to use the red/green orientation to figure out which way the aircraft
was moving. If the lights are moving across your windshield, then you
already know which way the aircraft is moving.

You see two lights at 12 O'Clock. Is the other aircraft moving towards you
or away from you? Would it help if I told you what color the two lights
were?

Maybe it's just that I grew up with boats, where lights tell you a lot. I
can look at a two red lights and two white lights and tell you that it's
tug towing a barge, and the whole thing is moving right to left. A red
light that changes to green (or vice versa) means I've just passed across
the other vessel's centerline. And so on.

On the other hand, I've noticed that people who's first introduction to
position lights was when they started flying tend not to think about them
like that.

On the other hand, I've noticed that people who's first introduction to
position lights was when they started flying tend not to think about them
like that.

I actually came up with my own very cornball way of thinking about
position lights:

"red on right, you're in fright"

At least I know if I see red on the right, green on the left, and no
apparent left or right motion, I had better do something immediately!


--
Guy

On the other hand, I've noticed that people who's first introduction to
position lights was when they started flying tend not to think about them
like that.

Boats are closer.

Jose
--
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On 2006-08-04, Roy Smith wrote:
You see two lights at 12 O'Clock. Is the other aircraft moving towards you
or away from you? Would it help if I told you what color the two lights
were?

You only have to be able to determine the colour of one light. Since the
red/green lights only shine forward, if you see a colour other than
white, you know the other aircraft is facing you.

Since colour deficient people can at least determine one of red or
green, that's sufficient to tell whether the other aircraft is facing
you or has its tail to you.

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