Air travel has defined travelling in various ways. Before airplanes ruled the air, people travel by land and by sea. Each journey is long tedious. Going cross-country by land can take weeks or even months. Going across the globe by see can take months to years. In the bygone era, you will have to be patient when travelling. However, when the Wright brothers invented the fist flying machine, the world of travel took a drastic turn. Now, travelling across the country or across the globe can be done in a few days. Moreover, travelling by air is more comfortable and convenient. With hundreds of flights to various destinations, you can now go anywhere you want as long as you can afford it.
Airplanes are like metal birds flying across the sky. The only difference is that air planes are giant air machines. In order for these machines to fly, they will need a pilot. If cars are driven by drivers then planes are driven by pilots. Cars have streets while planes have the sky and the airport. Like streets, airports also have markings. If roads have traffic lights, airports have runway lighting too. Traffic lights are used to regulate traffic on the road. Runway Lighting is used to mark the boundaries on the runway. It is also used to signal the pilot that he or she is approaching the airport. Unlike traffic lights that do not have a lot of variations, runway lights have different types. Each type also has a specific purpose.
Here are some examples of the runway lights that you have seen while approaching an airport when travelling on a plane:
Rotating Beacons – When a pilots see this type of airport lighting they will immediately know that they are approaching an airport. Each type of airport has their own unique way of using these rotating beacons. International or civil airports will have rotating beacons that alternately flash green and white lights. Beacons for military airports will simultaneously flash white lights and then followed by a green light. Other landing areas also use different types of light flashing sequences. Typically, rotating beacons are only turned on during at night. However, when it is turned on during the day it indicates IFR conditions, which happens rarely.
Runway Thresholds:
Landing End: green lights are usually used to mark this end.
Departure End: this end is marked by red lights.
Runway Edges: At night, spotting the runway edges can be tricky. Therefore, to make it easier for pilots to spot these edges, white lights line the whole length of the runway.
Taxiways:
Blue lights often mark this area. In some airports, green lights or reflectors way mark the centreline of the taxiway.
These are just some examples of runway lighting. The whole point of using runway lighting is to provide pilots the guide that they need, especially when they are flying at night, in order to land the plane safely.