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Runway lighting for private grass strip

sparkcrafter

Active Member
I'm based on a private grass strip (2500 x 50) that has existing runway lighting, but the lighting system has deteriorated over the years and needs to be redone. Looking for suggestions on runway lights that are reasonably priced, low maintenance, and sufficiently bright for a rural grass strip.

Thanks,
Jerald
 
We installed 12"x12" concrete paving tiles into the turf, and glued on "Flush" solar charged LED lights that illuminate along the runway heading. 2 one each side of the threshold, and a line of them about 200' apart on both sides of the runway. The tiles were painted white with reflective glass beads, and are helpful in the day when landing a plane with limited forward visibility.
In the Summer, they glow all night. In the winter, they still glow several hours after dark.
My mower goes right over them, and they pose no threat to aircraft landing gear.
However, they are not official "Runway Lighting"....
 
Like this idea.

Have a stack of concrete pavers sitting around near the end of the runway the past 2 years for this purpose, awaiting paint and installation.

I'd like to see a pic or link to the low profile solar LED lights you installed. That's the part I have a hard time visualizing.
 
Agreed... Sounds like a great idea. Pics would be nice.

Or better yet... Can I come fly in? LOL
 
great idea. I would love to see some pics also

Ditto! Please?

I live on a 4000'x100' grass strip with home made LED/solar lights. The lights are adapted to use standard runway light fixtures and used to work well... but as they've aged, they've dimmed or died out completely. The original builder of these has no interest in fixing them, so alternative ideas are handy...
 
There was a company several years ago that marketed a product similar to what Skipchief described. They were about 4 " square, and about 3/4" thick.

They used EAA to send samples out to members for evaluation. I got a set, and found that they were much dimmer than our Wag Aero runway lights, and their durability was terrible. I think they sent me three or four, in the various colors needed. One died within a month or so, and all but one of the rest died within a few months. Perhaps they are still on the market, in improved form. Skipchief's solution is obviously far superior to 'standard' lights, from an ongoing maintenance standpoint (mowing around the lights).

If your lights are still there, and the wiring still works, you could consider replacing the incandescent bulbs with LEDs. I've modified most of our reflectors to have spring retainers so that if a mower hits a reflector, it will tip instead of bending. But it still snaps off the bulb. And the bulbs have very short life, even if not abused by mowers. An LED standing on flexible wire would just move with the reflector, and wouldn't be vulnerable to water damage, like the standard bayonet sockets.
 
We installed 12"x12" concrete paving tiles into the turf, and glued on "Flush" solar charged LED lights that illuminate along the runway heading. 2 one each side of the threshold, and a line of them about 200' apart on both sides of the runway. The tiles were painted white with reflective glass beads, and are helpful in the day when landing a plane with limited forward visibility.
In the Summer, they glow all night. In the winter, they still glow several hours after dark.
My mower goes right over them, and they pose no threat to aircraft landing gear.
However, they are not official "Runway Lighting"....

If you do this, don't bother trying to get the expen$ive FAA approved glass beads. We did this one year on our runway center line stripe and used regular highway glass beads on the edge markings.

There was a noticeable difference and all of the pilots liked the highway stuff as being a much better reflector. :) All I can think is that the FAA beads may be more rated for impact loads rather than reflectivity.
 
There's an article in the Sep 2010 edition of Sport Aviation about DIY runway lighting. I tried to post the link out the SA archives but it doesn't work for some reason.
 
If your wiring is still good. I use inch and a half abs plastic pipe slipped over one inch square pressure treated posts in the ground. Run the wire up through the plastic pipe to a construction pig tail. The pig tail slides snugly in the pipe at the top. I use to use 15 watt fridge bulbs, but now use 40 W led bulbs with a mason jar to cover the bulb and light socket. The jar just sits on the bulb and the wind has never blown one off. I spray herbicide around the lights twice a year and the whole set up costs about 10 bucks a light if you get too close with the mower. I've got a timer on the power to turn them on for an hour after sunset and you can see the lights for miles even being close to town. I have reflective tape around the pipes in case a bulb burns out. Been using these lights on my 4000 foot strip for crop spraying for 15 years with no issues.
 
Wow. How do you see anything other than the lights?

FWIW, 1" schedule 40 PVC water pipe works great, if you're using regular lights like Wag Aero sells. Just cut the bottom end to a point on a table saw, drill an entry hole in the side below grass level for the wire, and dig a hole to the final depth of the wire entry before driving in the pipe.
 
Here is a link to the kind of light we use.
https://www.amazon.com/EcoCity-Sola...=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=B01KHFWAQE
It's AMAZON, and not sure it's the same brand, but looks the same. Comments are pretty good, but we have had a few get moisture inside and quit. So some will need to be replaced from time to time.
Our Light Project guy is trying different brands for the best and lowest price.

How well can you see them at night from the air??

I also tried 1 or 2 of these. Could barely see them from the air.

As a trial got 2 of these. They seem about the same intensity as standard runway lights and still considering whether to get a full set for the runway.

I like the low profile idea with a paver so that you can mow over it but so-far have not found anything with adequate light output.
 
My grass strip is not FAA approved for night ops, but you never know when your arrival home will be delayed. For safety, I'd like something.

At this point I'm thinking reflector paint in the beam of a good Baja landing light offers the best bang-for-buck and longevity.

Next question: what lighting device to attach to each of 14 deer hanging around here lately? Seeing them during a night landing would be every bit as important as knowing exactly where the runway edges were.
 
Hey Weasel,

Your item 1 looks like what I 'evaluated' for that EAA test I mentioned earlier. The ones I got ended up on the steps to my deck, where they were just bright enough to find the deck from about 50-75 feet away. It's noteworthy that they carefully call them 'airport' lights and not runway lights. :) With a 1/2 mile visibility range, they're not going to do much for seeing the runway from the air.

Charlie
 
Next question: what lighting device to attach to each of 14 deer hanging around here lately? Seeing them during a night landing would be every bit as important as knowing exactly where the runway edges were.

We are breaking a GMO variety of deer with self-illumination - in red light so as to not affect night vision.
 
We are breaking a GMO variety of deer with self-illumination - in red light so as to not affect night vision.

I thought some come that way already... :)

10310596-large.jpg
 
Reminds me of the woman who called a talk show complaining about the highway department putting deer crossing signs around blind curves. Said she had already hit two deer; why couldn't they put the crossings at traffic lights.
 
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