Wednesday, January 11, 2017

What To Know About Aircraft Warning Lights On Buildings

By Sarah Smith


Aircraft warning lights refer to high-intensity lighting devices that are attached on structures such as buildings in order to avoid collision. These devices serve as a measure for avoiding collision. The intention of using these devices is to make buildings more visible to aircraft passing by. In most cases, they are used at night even though they can be used during daytime too. Aircraft warning lights on buildings must be visible from several miles away for them to be effective.

Warning lights come in two main categories, that is, red lamps and white flashers. The programming of red lamps makes them to stay on always or to come on and go off at predetermined time intervals. The rate of coming on and going off is low and may be adjustable. The white varieties are often xenon discharge flashers. The popularity of red lamps is rising in the UK and other countries as white flashers are replaced.

Red lamps are installed with incandescent filament bulbs in them. Their design is ruggedized so as to improve their lifespan because they tend to have a very short lifespan. They are also powered using power that is below their usual operating power to increase lifespan. High-power red LEDs have started to replace incandescent bulbs in the recent past.

The lifespan of LED-based lamps is much longer, which helps to reduce maintenance costs while improving reliability. Medium-intensity white strobes have been developed by some manufacturers based on the LED technology to replace xenon flashers. This invention has increased the desire for white flashers in the US. Most buildings thus have white flashers during daytime and red lamps at night.

Highly populated and urban areas tend to have red lamps installed more commonly. Red lamps are preferred because they can be seen more easily from a height and distance. White flashers are also used in urban areas but not very commonly. The ability of white flashers to blend with background lights makes them less effective for the purpose they are supposed to serve. Since rural areas does not have background lights that may cause interference, white flashers are used more commonly.

In general, the lamps are installed on any kinds of tall structure. Examples of structures they are installed on include water tanks, tall buildings, wind turbines, electricity pylons, broadcast towers, chimneys, cranes, and broadcast masts. They are also installed on shorter structures that are located close to an airstrip or airport. This is done to warn landing aircraft and those that are taking off the ground.

Normally, the lights are arranged in clusters of two or several lamps around the structure. The arrangement is done at specified heights along the height. In most cases, a set will be placed at the top of the structure followed by several sets at specific intervals down the structure. How many sets are installed will be determined by the height of the structure.

These lamps often cause light trespass. Those who live near the lamps often place complaints about the light trespassing. Towerkill of birds together with light pollution are also important issues of concern.




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