Add a rotating beacon

sddiver

sddiver

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SDDiver
Is it legal to have a rotating beacon installed on an airplane that doesn't have one?

Most experimentals don't have one. Neither do Cirri or Diamonds. Not a fan of taxiing around with strobes on.
 
Not sure it matters. But maybe it does. Let's pick the Diamond for example since we have one in the club.
 
sddiver said:
Not a fan of taxiing around with strobes on
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Many make a habit of NOT turning on the strobes until they are entering the active runway to depart. And then deactivating the strobes once they are off of the runway and in the process of "cleaning up" the airplane.

So if you adopted the habit, then you've solved the problem you describe for free.
 
sddiver said:
Is it legal to have a rotating beacon installed on an airplane that doesn't have one?

Most experimentals don't have one. Neither do Cirri or Diamonds. Not a fan of taxiing around with strobes on.
Click to expand...

Do you taxi around with strobes on now? If so..stop it, don't be "that" guy (or gal). For strobes, there are specific occasions to have them on and taxiing isn't one of them (unless you are crossing an active runway). @AggieMike88 covered a few of them. Strobes are also off in IMC..I tried that once and...never again heh.

I looked into replacing a beacon on my old Cherokee 180 but already had one..probably need to look and see if you'll need an STC for it.
 
It matters how you do the addition. it could be a major alteration requiring FAA approval because of how/ where the hole is cut and how it is wired.
 
Well, you can do whatever you want to an Experimental (AB at least). I'd not consider adding lights to be major.
If you're talking about other aircraft, then it would depend. Cutting holes in plastic aircraft is probably a major mod. I'd not put a rotating beacon in, but rather one of the not-quite-strobe flashing red light (probably LED these days).
 
Why on earth would you want to ADD a soda can sized flashing light onto your plane!

I'm looking at taking the one on my 185 off, it's just between the new tail fin tip, new wing tips and nav/strobes for the required viewing angle, plus paint, it's probably over 3k.

Just taxi with your navs on, strobes off per your safety discretion as PIC.
 
AggieMike88 said:
Many make a habit of NOT turning on the strobes until they are entering the active runway to depart. And then deactivating the strobes once they are off of the runway and in the process of "cleaning up" the airplane.

So if you adopted the habit, then you've solved the problem you describe for free.
Click to expand...

Thanks. Yes that is my habit in all the club planes I'm currently checked out to fly (Cessnas, Archers, and Arrows). They all have a rotating beacon and strobes. Strobes are off until taking the active (or when crossing a runway).

However, I'm looking to transition to the club's Diamond and that one has no beacon. I see our Diamond and Cirrus drivers taxiing with strobes on. The argument being that an anti-collision light must be on when maneuvering on the ground. My understanding is that only strobes and beacons qualify as anti-collision lights, whereas position lights don't.

Maybe I'm wrong. And it would be ok to taxi a Diamond with only the collision lights on. If that's the case, that's how I would do it.
 
Oh and the reason I asked my initial question was because eventually I'd like to stop renting and start owning and was wondering what the options were then. Thanks for all your answers. Much appreciated.
 
sddiver said:
Oh and the reason I asked my initial question was because eventually I'd like to stop renting and start owning and was wondering what the options were then. Thanks for all your answers. Much appreciated.
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Certified aircraft have very specific rules what major modifications can be done and how they are done. And it's not as simple as drilling a hole for the mounting and running a wire.

On the diamond, My primary training was in a DA20 at a very busy class D airport. The Nav lights were sufficient when taxiing at night.
 
sddiver said:
...The argument being that an anti-collision light must be on when maneuvering on the ground. My understanding is that only strobes and beacons qualify as anti-collision lights, whereas position lights don't.
...
Click to expand...

That's not correct, they can be turned off when you deem it a saftey issue to keep them on, blinding other pilots on the ground certianly qualifies, it's simple, just run only navs on the ground if you don't have a beacon :dunno:

§91.209 Aircraft lights.
No person may:
(b) Operate an aircraft that is equipped with an anticollision light system, unless it has lighted anticollision lights. However, the anticollision lights need not be lighted when the pilot-in-command determines that, because of operating conditions, it would be in the interest of safety to turn the lights off.
 
Back when I had a rotating beacon, it was always switched on. It was a good indicator that the master was left on. I only turned on the strobes when entering the runway.
 
My strobes are on all the time - during the day. The switch is always left on to verify my master is off.

I don't fly at night and my plane doesn't have a rotating beacon.

I also have Led strobes which use almost no power.
 
A Whelen 70509 self contained flasher is a simple and inexpensive beacon substitute. They also have the same idea in LED, like the 90520 or 71080. Easy install, low power draw, effective recognition. I like beacons.
 
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