runway lights questions: o/t

[Nathan]

Hi all,

Sorry for the off topic question, but....


My local small airport likes me to take pictures of the airport for them. Im trying to get some night shots in. I know that the runway lights turn on when a pilot taps the mic a few times being tuned in with the airport frequency. I was wonder is there a way to get them on without being in an plane? I would like to get some night shots on the ground with the lights on. The airport manager mentioned I would need a portable radio. Even if I have the ok with the airport would this be illegal? The airport really doesn't get any flights in during the nights so my chance of catching something without mischievous behavor is zip.

Sorry for the dumb question.


Thanks.

[steve dickey]

Well i guess your po-dunk airport is smaller than our po-dunk airport cause ours come on automatically around dusk. The PCL's can also be brought up in intensity by clicking the frequency multiple time's.
If the airport manager sez's its ok than I don't think its illegal , but every airport's different.
Do you have a camera with a bulb setting that you can take long exposure's
Like nike sez,"Just do it"

[Nathan]

I was down there tonight just me and the wife. I have the number for the gate to get inside. I park out by the t-hangers that have a nice size tar mac next to the runway. I was doing some night shots out tonight. Its a very beautiful night. I was taking long exposures. The moon is out and thats a good time to go night shooting! The airport is by itself just outside of town no one is ever around at night. Yes, I have permission to go in. Heck the R/C guys gotta get in somehow thats were the R/C runway is at next to one of the t hangers. lol

note: there are three t-hangers now and another taxi way finished from t hangers to main hanger/office.

[Chris Brame]

I was down there tonight just me and the wife...The airport is by itself just outside of town no one is ever around at night.

You little ol' romantic devil.

[RyanShort1]

Nathan,

The technically correct response is that yes, it is illegal, unless you have a mobile transmitting license from the FCC. On the other hand, unless the FCC knows you are doing it, and happens to be on a hunt specifically for you, there's almost no likelihood of their catching you giving the runway lights three, five, or seven clicks. If you want to look at this more, go to the following link: http://www.pilotsofamerica.com/forum/sh ... hp?t=40416 The bigger worry I would have is that you make sure that you are watching, and listening for aircraft that might be approaching. If one were to be on an approach to landing, this could be quite disconcerting.
The absurdity of this is shown by the fact that I could be in the Piper Cub on the ground and be 100% legal to transmit to a student in the pattern on solo, but if I stepped out, it would be illegal unless I had a license.

Ryan

[mustanglover]

Even though the RELs (Runway Edge Lights) are PCL (Pilot Controlled Lighting) to turn on, there has to be a control panel somewhere on the airport.

The control panel would have a set of rotary switches that allow you to turn the RELs ON to MANUAL and then 10%, 50% and 100% intensity (or something like that).

Me thinks your airport manager may not be a very active manager.

[Robbie Roberts]

Nathan,

The technically correct response is that yes, it is illegal, unless you have a mobile transmitting license from the FCC. On the other hand, unless the FCC knows you are doing it, and happens to be on a hunt specifically for you, there's almost no likelihood of their catching you giving the runway lights three, five, or seven clicks. If you want to look at this more, go to the following link: http://www.pilotsofamerica.com/forum/sh ... hp?t=40416 The bigger worry I would have is that you make sure that you are watching, and listening for aircraft that might be approaching. If one were to be on an approach to landing, this could be quite disconcerting.
The absurdity of this is shown by the fact that I could be in the Piper Cub on the ground and be 100% legal to transmit to a student in the pattern on solo, but if I stepped out, it would be illegal unless I had a license.

Ryan

Where I fly out of(WHEN I have the time and $$) when I click the button for lights, I get THREE airports to illuminate! All are on the same CTAF, and are within about five miles of each other- I pick the one in the middle and land there...lol... I did that to the examiner on my check ride- it was just approaching dusk on a rainy day when I took my check ride, and he asked where the airport was- I clicked the mic, and pointed, saying- "The one in the middle"(though he knew da-mn well where we were...)

Scott

[The Inspector]

Nathan,
You might consider waiting until a few minutes past official sunset while the sky is still fairly well illuminated but the shadows are gone, do several, different length time exposures and just before you're finished with the exposure, click on the runway lights to get a nice effect without 'hot spots' from the lights on your exposure. Remember, less is more, consider shooting from the top of a box van to get a slightly different perspective on the situation. You might luck into a really nice golden glow to the sky in your picture also try using a 'star' filter to give the picture that random bright four sided star from a street light.

[Nathan]

Me thinks your airport manager may not be a very active manager.

Sorry for my misleading post. I wrote in haste. I never figured to ask her if there is a manual switch. It was a quick conversation. I'll ask again with more detail.

Nathan,
You might consider waiting until a few minutes past official sunset while the sky is still fairly well illuminated but the shadows are gone, do several, different length time exposures and just before you're finished with the exposure, click on the runway lights to get a nice effect without 'hot spots' from the lights on your exposure. Remember, less is more, consider shooting from the top of a box van to get a slightly different perspective on the situation. You might luck into a really nice golden glow to the sky in your picture also try using a 'star' filter to give the picture that random bright four sided star from a street light.

Thanks for the tips. Very helpful! Another full moon tonight. The moon is closest to the earth since 1993 tonight so should get some good lighting out there. Hopefully the overcast lifts soon!

[Nathan]

I was down there tonight just me and the wife...The airport is by itself just outside of town no one is ever around at night.

You little ol' romantic devil.

LMAO! Thanks Chris!

[The Inspector]

If you're gonna 'shoot the moon' watch your exposure times as the moon will track across your picture just from the earths rotation, maybe do just the moon tonight when it's HUGE and doing the airport another evening when the moon is later in the evening, then 'shopping' in the lunar orb, plus then you'll have a few really cool just the moon pictures you can splice into other pictures from your files to add interest to an otherwise "ho-hum" picture. I know guys who shoot just photos of cloud formations that they can 'shop' into an otherwise blah in flight photo to perk it up some. A plus to doing it that way is you can move the moon around to the 'perfect' spot in the picture, later you can crush pop cans and twist licorice whips to go with your awsome celestial powers.

[walkerarmyairfield]

Nathan,
Pilot controlled lighting is used at airports to save energy and bulbs. At least thats the local spin on it. If you lose radios in your aircraft you have a big problem. As mentioned before the lighting is controlled by the pilot transmitting on a frequency printed on the sectional chart or listed in the Airport information directory. You click the transmitter a certain number of times for low intensity, medium or high intensity runway and approach lighting. Some pilots turn on other airport lights when they are flying cross country for the heck of it. The really good airports to click on are the class c airspace airports that have the tower shut down after a certain hour. Most of these have the full ILS approach lighiting with a string of strobes and and approach lighting. You can get the stobe ball going down the glide slope which is neat to watch and helps on a real instrument approach. Uses several kilowatts of electricity. kThe larger airports usually have 8,000 feet of runway lights on high intensity, approach lights, papi, strobes what a sight. Plus you probably keyed up other airports in the area also on the same frequency. Commuter aircraft always key up the lights during daylight hours for added safety in the airport traffic area. Also warns pilots that other aircraft are in the airport area.

l

[Nathan]

I actually made a stop last night and the lights were on! I made a haste to the front of the run way to get a downward shot of the runway and taxi-way. No aircraft where out so figured maybe it was from a passing aircraft? I did note or truck come up the airport lane and made a turn around then the lights went out. The airport has a new airport maintence guy maybe it was him running down to turn off the lights?

I love airports and aviation. I get a big kick out of everything airport. Hell, I get a big kick seeing all the strobe lights on around at night!

[67N20]

How about some pictures when you get what you like?

[Lynn Allen]

Well i guess your po-dunk airport is smaller than our po-dunk airport cause ours come on automatically around dusk. The PCL's can also be brought up in intensity by clicking the frequency multiple time's.
If the airport manager sez's its ok than I don't think its illegal , but every airport's different.
Do you have a camera with a bulb setting that you can take long exposure's
Like nike sez,"Just do it"

I can't tell you how many nights at altitude, we would try 122.7 and 122.8 to see how many would come on and bet how many we could get....