Comments on: Have We Been Cleared to Land?

By: Mike Bennett

Mike Bennett — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 23:36:18 +0000

Great tip! I follow the same thought process, but instead of the landing light I use the taxi light as my “cleared to land” light (running both the taxi and landing light during the landing). In my area of the country while flying VFR under the NY class bravo I like to have my landing light whenever possible.

By: Paul

Paul — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 23:50:08 +0000

I also use the same trick for cleared to land. I don’t turn the landing light on until I hear “cleared to land” from tower. I usually glance at the landing light switch on short final, just to be sure.

By: Sylvia

Sylvia — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 19:21:14 +0000

Hmm, this trick would work great for me though as I haven’t kept my night rating up. The switch position would remind me what the status is (although knowing me, I’d forget and kill the battery *sigh*)

I learned red-blue-3greens as a final last minute check.

By: Patrick Flannigan

Patrick Flannigan — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 02:48:24 +0000

Thanks!

By: Vincent, from PlasticPilot.net

Vincent, from PlasticPilot.net — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 18:56:19 +0000

The case of Cannes is the only one I know about. You can find the French AIP online at http://www.sia.aviation-civile.gouv.fr

I’ve never heard of “Lights Camera Action” before, and like it, great tip. On final, I like Red – Blue – Green (mixture, prop, landing gear).

I like to note frequencies I’m given before dialing them in for a simple reason: if the radios fail, I know which one I was on and can tune my hand held radio directly, without having to ask on 121.5.

By: Julien

Julien — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 05:15:19 +0000

The good thing with “lights, camera, action” is that it also works on exiting the runway: lights off (esp. strobes), transponder on SBY, flaps up, fuel pump off. A really handy one.

By: Patrick Flannigan

Patrick Flannigan — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 12:53:58 +0000

I was taught something similar: instead of leaving the landing light on, I leave my taxi/recog lights on below 10,000 or in cruise at altitude.

Good ole “lights camera action” on the runway will save your bacon every time. It’s almost as valuable as the GUMPS before landing check.

By: Matthew Stibbe

Matthew Stibbe — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 06:31:06 +0000

I tend to leave the landing light on whenever I’m below 10,000 feet for visibility. That’s what I was taught. Different strokes for different folks, I guess.

But I do like the idea of using switches and settings in the aircraft as reminders. For example, it’s easier to dial in a pressure setting when you get it than to write it down and then dial it in. I know other Cirrus drivers who take this kind of thing further but I can’t remember exactly what they do but it’s similar to your idea.

Another thing relating to lights that I was taught is vital actions before lining up for takeoff: ‘lights, camera, action’. Lights = pitot heat, landing light, nav lights, strobe etc., Camera = transponder, Action = (prop), mixture, fuel pump. It’s quite a useful reminder.

By: Patrick Flannigan

Patrick Flannigan — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 23:48:27 +0000

No doubt the landing light makes the airplane more visible, and I tend to have it on within 10 miles of a nontowered airport. You just never know who’s flying around and not minding the radio.

I haven’t done any European flying, so your saying that a requirement to enter certain types of airspace over there is to have the landing light on? I’d like to learn
more about that, I think I’ll go look up Cannes.

Thanks for commenting Vincent!

By: Vincent, from PlasticPilot.net

Vincent, from PlasticPilot.net — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 21:59:35 +0000

Nice tip, but it sounds contradictory to what I learned. I know that airliners often turn the landing light on when clear to land, but in light aircraft I prefer to turn it on on downwind. This is to make my aircraft more visible and easier to spot by the others. Depending the type of joins used (90°, 45°, 270°, overhead, direct in base, …) this can make a difference.

There are also some airports which require to turn it on when entering the CTR (i.e. Cannes, France, LFMD). Relying on the switch in that case could be misleading…