hydroguy2
Well Known Member
I need new landing lights but a little story & full disclosure first.....
I made a mistake in sunset time and travel time on Sunday, I was fighting headwinds and going to be 30-45min after sunset....that?s dark in the hills around our place. I haven?t flown past dusk in 13years, so made some quick calculations as I approached our mountain strip. I had dropped to 6500 where there was zero wind and pushed the power up...minutes I might need. 15 minutes from home, screaming along at 185kts, I text Kris that I was diverting up the lake to KGPI, the big airport in Kalispell. At least they have a lot of big lights for my 1st night landing in all these years, also it?d be my first night landing in Aurora. As I passed Polson (8S1), I can see the runway pretty good. Quick check the GPS, 30nm home vs 37nm to GPI. 10 minutes to at least go take a look. I make a slight left climbing turn to 7200? to ensure I?m above the ridges and also text Kris ?go park my truck at the taxiway with the lights across the runway?. 4 minutes out, I can clearly make out the saddle on the last ridge to the airpark. As I descend to 6000, I see headlights at the taxiway and also at midfield ramp. Great, I hit my PTT to turn on the runway lights....nothing try again same results check the frequency...****! But I could make out the runway. By now I?m making a teardrop into RY20...a black hole in the mountains. Aiming 1/3 way down the runway focus is on the strip of asphalt lit by truck lights. A few gusty corrections as I drop over the hill, I?m a little fast. As I get close to the runway I realize I?ve picked up a bunch of speed... 85kts over the fence. Finally wheeled it on just before midfield but was fast. Got the tail down and on the brakes....because my landing lights SUX. I can only see the pilot side RY edge due to the strobe flashes. Whew...landed 28minutes after official sunset, which is really dark in the mountains with trees. I confess I made a poor decision leaving Townsend as late as I did. Probably should have landed in Polson. My bail out was the big airport 10 minutes away was in play if I didn?t like the view.
So I?ve got 75W halogen wingtip lights. What is out there that will fit in the same door print. My Photobucket account apparently is gone do no pictures of my set up yet. But interested into good wingtip lights.
I made a mistake in sunset time and travel time on Sunday, I was fighting headwinds and going to be 30-45min after sunset....that?s dark in the hills around our place. I haven?t flown past dusk in 13years, so made some quick calculations as I approached our mountain strip. I had dropped to 6500 where there was zero wind and pushed the power up...minutes I might need. 15 minutes from home, screaming along at 185kts, I text Kris that I was diverting up the lake to KGPI, the big airport in Kalispell. At least they have a lot of big lights for my 1st night landing in all these years, also it?d be my first night landing in Aurora. As I passed Polson (8S1), I can see the runway pretty good. Quick check the GPS, 30nm home vs 37nm to GPI. 10 minutes to at least go take a look. I make a slight left climbing turn to 7200? to ensure I?m above the ridges and also text Kris ?go park my truck at the taxiway with the lights across the runway?. 4 minutes out, I can clearly make out the saddle on the last ridge to the airpark. As I descend to 6000, I see headlights at the taxiway and also at midfield ramp. Great, I hit my PTT to turn on the runway lights....nothing try again same results check the frequency...****! But I could make out the runway. By now I?m making a teardrop into RY20...a black hole in the mountains. Aiming 1/3 way down the runway focus is on the strip of asphalt lit by truck lights. A few gusty corrections as I drop over the hill, I?m a little fast. As I get close to the runway I realize I?ve picked up a bunch of speed... 85kts over the fence. Finally wheeled it on just before midfield but was fast. Got the tail down and on the brakes....because my landing lights SUX. I can only see the pilot side RY edge due to the strobe flashes. Whew...landed 28minutes after official sunset, which is really dark in the mountains with trees. I confess I made a poor decision leaving Townsend as late as I did. Probably should have landed in Polson. My bail out was the big airport 10 minutes away was in play if I didn?t like the view.
So I?ve got 75W halogen wingtip lights. What is out there that will fit in the same door print. My Photobucket account apparently is gone do no pictures of my set up yet. But interested into good wingtip lights.