Light gun signal

dmspilot

dmspilot

Final Approach
Joined
Oct 20, 2006
Messages
5,850
Display Name
Display name:
DISPLAY NAME
I asked a tower for a "practice light gun signal" today and they obliged, but we couldn't see it. They tried a second time and we still couldn't see it. It was sunny out but I thought it was supposed to be visible in the daylight?
 
You might try it again,you should be able to see it even in bright sunlight.
 
Wait til it's real and you can't see it. That makes it really interesting!
 
Light guns surprised me at how hard they are to see. Even at night, it's just a tiny point of light. During the day, good luck - it can be done.
 
My first radio failure was in 1969 in a C-150E with a Narco Mark 12 radio (remember vacuum tubes?). Only the receiver side was out; I assumed I was still transmitting. I entered the pattern at Fullerton, calling in the blind. There was a red light from the tower, so I exited the pattern. When I returned a few minutes later there was a green light, and I landed.

On the ground the receiver started working again. The controller said, "uh, the reason you got a red the first time was 'cuz we pushed the wrong button."

Good exercise for both sides. :redface:
 
Matthew said:
Light guns surprised me at how hard they are to see. Even at night, it's just a tiny point of light. During the day, good luck - it can be done.
Click to expand...

I think that's what the issue was. I thought it would be more distinct. Could be that I sortof saw it but didn't really know what I was looking at and couldn't distinguish it from the sunlight reflections off the tower windows.

Thanks.
 
dmspilot said:
I think that's what the issue was. I thought it would be more distinct. Could be that I sortof saw it but didn't really know what I was looking at and couldn't distinguish it from the sunlight reflections off the tower windows.

Thanks.
Click to expand...

I've visited a few towers across the country, and all of those that I visited had glass that tilted down in order to eliminate any reflection directed up or out. YMMV.

Bob Gardner
 
I've gotten them both for demonstration and for real. It's not exactly a blinding spotlight in your face but it was visible enough for me. I suppose time of day and weather conditions could change that though.
 
Pilawt said:
My first radio failure was in 1969 in a C-150E with a Narco Mark 12 radio (remember vacuum tubes?). Only the receiver side was out; I assumed I was still transmitting. I entered the pattern at Fullerton, calling in the blind. There was a red light from the tower, so I exited the pattern. When I returned a few minutes later there was a green light, and I landed.

On the ground the receiver started working again. The controller said, "uh, the reason you got a red the first time was 'cuz we pushed the wrong button."

Good exercise for both sides. :redface:
Click to expand...

Showed this to my wife ; she just shook her head and laughed..
icon14.gif


I had a communications failure recently. Radio not transmitting. I reported entering Class D called tower, with ATIS, for landing . Was told to report (Outer Point), at (Outer Point ), they said report (South Tip), reported (South Tip), next was report ( mid field down wind). Here was when things stopped working.

Called twice entering mid field, no response. Abeam the numbers tower then says, expect light signals, continue landing. They also said wiggle your wings if you receive us. I WIGGLED my wings and landed. Never saw the light signals, didn't look to hard.

Had a second com in the plane but I figured the tower and I saw I to eye with what was going on. I was landing why start to play with radios. Just wanted to land and get off the runway without causing delays. Lots of charters in and out in of Juneau in the summer.

Taxied back to tie down called Juneau RCO. No problem. Changed the head phone jacks and bought a hand held to keep in my flight bag. Still don't trust that NARCO, use it only for ground and ATIS today. Use the King for all fight communications. I'm saving for a new com 1...:yes:
 
Last edited:
I've asked for a practice light gun signal before. The first few times we couldn't see it.... turns out the controller realized it had a bad bulb!! lol... He was able to find another light gun and it sufficiently bright to see from a downwind/base point. I felt like it looked like a stoplight emanating from the tower. You could definitely see it and tell it was a light gun. They're not difficult to see if they're working properly.
 
Light gun signals were common through the 50's. They got less common as airplanes became equipped with Super-Homers and such. My first radio had two crystals for transmit 122.8 and the local jetport on 126.45 and a hand crank for roughly tuning the receiver - very roughly.
Light guns were visible in sunlight as long as you were paying attention.

In your case, likely that light gun had not been plugged into the wall socket in a decade or more and the controllers of today would not even know the difference :)
 
Matthew said:
Light guns surprised me at how hard they are to see. Even at night, it's just a tiny point of light. During the day, good luck
Click to expand...

They should use a laser instead. :)
 
During my radio comm failure, it was daylight and I saw the green light. Never had it demonstrated before....and NO it was not near as overpowering as I expected. I at first debated in my head if that was even the signal...but it was.
 
During my radio comm failure, it was daylight and I saw the green light. Never had it demonstrated before....and NO it was not near as overpowering as I expected. I at first debated in my head if that was even the signal...but it was.
 
They should use red and green lasers, like all the hoodlums.
No problem seeing those.
 
When I had to use them for real, I was surprised at how dim or not easy to see they were. I kinda expected some gigantic bright light but it was just a touch brighter than someone holding up their phone.
 
Light gun? Have never seen one in use. Cant remember all the signals. I know GREEN is good! ;)
 
Here's a very cool video of an electrical failure and light gun signals were issued by the tower. You can clearly see them.

Not sure why they played an awesome Journey song at the end.

 
ahkahn said:
Here's a very cool video of an electrical failure and light gun signals were issued by the tower. You can clearly see them.

Not sure why they played an awesome Journey song at the end.

Click to expand...

That was pretty bright. Some days the shades are pulled down in the tower and the gun might be shot through them, too.

Here's a short video. Unless that light is aimed right in your eyes, it isn't all that noticeable:

https://youtu.be/OvBn_G4G5hk
 
Matthew said:
Light guns surprised me at how hard they are to see. Even at night, it's just a tiny point of light. During the day, good luck - it can be done.
Click to expand...


Not the only thing.
During a BFR, my CFI asked me to align on our PAPI at 10miles out.
My comment: What PAPI?
I don't think I was able to see it beyond 5 miles and not really practically until within 3 miles. Lights are just too little that far away.
 
oldShar said:
Not the only thing.
During a BFR, my CFI asked me to align on our PAPI at 10miles out.
My comment: What PAPI?
I don't think I was able to see it beyond 5 miles and not really practically until within 3 miles. Lights are just too little that far away.
Click to expand...

Bad CFI. AIM 2-1-2 says "are visible from about 5 miles out during the day and up to 20 miles at night."

Bob Gardner
 
I did see light gun signals during my PP training.

During a flight review, my CFI told me to remove my headset to simulate a comm failure. She radioed tower for a light gun signals as we approached the airport. I told her what I saw, she read back the clearances to tower.
 
FWIW, the gun usually has a little aiming scope/viewfinder to allow the controller to point it directly at the aircraft in question. The high-intensity light beam is pretty narrow and the low-intensity light is wide but hardly visible during the day.

These guys are using it right:
ATC-Light-Signals.jpg
060308-F-3963C-004_screen.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top