Chapter 9. Airport Lighting and Visibility Aids
(Alaska Only)

Section 1. General

1. AIRPORT LIGHTING

1. General Lighting. Operate airport lighting in accordance with associated sections in this chapter except:

1. As requested by the pilot.
2. As required by facility directives or letters of agreement to meet local conditions or requirements.
3. As specialist deems necessary if not contrary to pilot's request or local directives.

1. Emergency Lighting. When it appears that an emergency has or will occur, provide for the operation of all appropriate airport lighting aids in accordance with local procedures and/or as required.

1. OBSTRUCTION LIGHTS

If controls are provided, operate the lights between sunset and sunrise.

1. ROTATING BEACON

If controls are provided, turn on the rotating beacon:

1. Between sunset and sunrise.
2. Between sunrise and sunset when the reported ceiling or visibility is below basic VFR minima.

1. APPROACH LIGHTS

Operate approach lights:

1. Between sunset and sunrise when one of the following conditions exists:

1. They serve the landing runway.
2. They serve a runway to which an approach is being made but aircraft will land on another runway.

1. Between sunrise and sunset when the ceiling is less than 1,000 feet or the prevailing visibility is 5 miles or less and approaches are being made to:

1. A landing runway served by the lights.
2. A runway served by the lights but aircraft are landing on another runway.
3. The airport, but landing will be made on a runway served by the lights.

1. As requested by the pilot.
2. As you deem necessary, if not contrary to pilot's request.

1. APPROACH LIGHTING SYSTEM INTENSITY SETTINGS (ALS)

Operate intensity controls in accordance with the values depicted. (See TBL 9-1-1.)

1. SEQUENCED FLASHING LIGHTS (SFL)

Operate sequenced flashing lights when the visibility is less than 3 miles and instrument approaches are being made to the runway served by the associated ALS.

1. RUNWAY EDGE LIGHTS

Operate the runway edge light system(s) serving the runway(s) in use as follows:

1. Between sunset and sunrise.

1. For departures when an aircraft calls for airport advisory or requests the lights be turned on until the aircraft reports departing the airport area or 15 minutes after the last contact with the aircraft.
2. For arrivals when an aircraft calls for airport advisory or when the associated approach control advises that an aircraft is on approach until the aircraft reports/is observed clear of the runway or 15 minutes after last radio contact or arrival time.

1. Between sunrise and sunset, turn the lights on when the surface visibility is less than 2 miles as described in subparagraphs 9-1-7a1 and a2.
2. The specialist considers it necessary, or it is requested by a pilot and no other known aircraft will be adversely affected.
3. Do not turn on the runway edge lights when a NOTAM closing the runway is in effect.
4. Alaska. The runway lights should remain on from the end of civil twilight to the beginning of civil twilight. If the runway lights are operated part-time in this period, broadcast a warning over the airport advisory frequency 2 minutes before turning the lights off.

1. CHANGING LIGHTED RUNWAYS

1. To switch lights:

1. Advise all known aircraft that the lights are to be changed, specifying the runway to be lighted.
2. Turn on the lights for the new runway 30 seconds before turning off the other runway lights, equipment permitting.

1. When a pilot requests that other than the favored runway be lighted and two runways cannot be lighted simultaneously, comply with the request if you have no knowledge of the lighted runway being in use. Advise all known aircraft.

1. MEDIUM INTENSITY APPROACH LIGHTING SYSTEM WITH RUNWAY ALIGNMENT INDICATOR LIGHTS (MALSR)/OMNIDIRECTIONAL APPROACH LIGHTING SYSTEM (ODALS)

Operate MALSR/ODALS that have separate on-off and intensity setting controls in accordance with TBL 9-1-2 and TBL 9-1-3.

1. HIGH INTENSITY RUNWAY LIGHTS (HIRL) ASSOCIATED WITH MALSR

Operate HIRL that controls the associated MALSR in accordance with the intensity setting in TBL 9-1-4.

1. MEDIUM INTENSITY RUNWAY LIGHTS (MIRL)

Operate MIRL or MIRL which control the associated MALSR in accordance with the TBL 9-1-5.

1. HIGH INTENSITY RUNWAY, RUNWAY CENTERLINE (RCLS), AND TOUCHDOWN ZONE LIGHTS (TDZL)

Operate high intensity runway and associated runway centerline and touchdown zone lights in accordance with TBL 9-1-6.

1. HIRL CHANGES AFFECTING RVR

Keep the appropriate approach controller or Precision Approach Radar (PAR) controller informed, in advance if possible, of HIRL changes that affect RVR.

1. HIGH SPEED TURNOFF LIGHTS

Operate high speed turnoff lights whenever the associated runway lights are used for arriving aircraft. Leave them on until the aircraft has either entered a taxiway or passed the last light.

1. RUNWAY END IDENTIFIER LIGHTS (REIL)

When separate on-off controls are provided, operate runway end identifier lights when the associated runway lights are lighted. Turn the REIL off after:

1. An arriving aircraft has landed.
2. A departing aircraft has left the traffic pattern area.
3. It is determined that the lights are of no further use to the pilot.
4. Operate intensity setting in accordance with the values in TBL 9-1-7 except as prescribed in subparagraphs b and c above.

1. TAXIWAY LIGHTS

Operate taxiway lights serving the taxiways, or portions thereof, in use between sunset and sunrise before an aircraft taxies onto the taxiway (normally at the time taxi information is issued) and until it taxies off it. Operate taxiway lights in accordance with TBL 9-1-8, TBL 9-1-9, or TBL 9-1-10.

1. VISUAL APPROACH SLOPE INDICATORS (VASIs)

The VASI system with remote on-off switching must be operated when it serves the runway in use and where intensities are controlled in accordance with TBL 9-1-11 and TBL 9-1-12.

1. VISIBILITY AIDS - GENERAL

1. Where RVR equipment is operational, irrespective of subsequent operation or nonoperation of navigational or visual aids for the application of RVR as a takeoff or landing minima, furnish the values for the runway in use in accordance with paragraph 9-1-19, RVR.
2. Issue current touchdown RVR for the runway(s) in use:

1. When prevailing visibility is 1 mile or less regardless of the value indicated.
2. When RVR indicates a reportable value regardless of the prevailing visibility.

1. When it is determined from a reliable source that the indicated RVR value differs by more than 400 feet from the actual conditions within the area of the transmissometer, the RVR data is not acceptable and must not be reported.

1. When the observer has reliable reports, or has otherwise determined that the instrument values are not representative of the associated runway, the data must not be used.

1. RVR

1. Provide RVR information by stating the runway, the abbreviation RVR, and the indicated value. When issued along with other weather elements, transmit these values in the normal sequence used for weather reporting.
2. When two or more RVR systems serve the runway in use, report the indicated values for the different systems in terms of touchdown, mid, and rollout as appropriate.
3. When there is a requirement to issue an RVR value and a visibility condition greater or less than the reportable values of the equipment is indicated, state the condition as “MORE THAN” or “LESS THAN” the appropriate minimum or maximum readable value.
4. When a readout indicates a rapidly varying visibility condition (1,000 feet or more), report the current value followed by the range of visibility variance.

1. OPERATION OF LANDING DIRECTION INDICATOR

Align the landing direction indicator with the favored or designated runway.