Operational use of wingtip strobes

I just put the FlyLED kit together. It looks like the controller takes 3 switched inputs:

• Nav
• Strobe
• Wig-Wag

I'm wondering how people actually wire these up, and how you use the different modes during real flights. Particularly, do you ever use wig-wag?

I plan on having leading edge lights (Duckworks/Baja) and those would also be wig-waged. So my thinking is that the wingtip/tail lights could just be on one switch (OFF-NAV-STROBE). Then landing lights would be (OFF-WIGWAG-ON).

Curious what peoples thoughts are.

I've got the same FlyLEDs kit, and have just installed Baja Designs lights as well.

I am going to let the VPX wig-wag the Baja lights.

I plan to have a switch like you describe, with OFF -> NAV -> NAV/STROBE, so I can have the nav lights on without the strobes for taxiing at night, etc.

Same. I have flyLEDs + dual Baja.

off-nav-strobe
off-taxi-land(both)

I have the G3x handling speed-based wig-wag.

I have AeroLEDS, but from a control concept, I have a separate switch for each so I can have both off, either on, or both on. During the day (99.9% of my flying) I tend to fly with only the strobes on and Nav's off regardless of whether I'm VFR or IFR.

Keep in mind that on a standard -10, the strobes are also the anti-collision lights, which the FARs require you to run both day and night (except off in the interest of safety...). The LED nav lights draw so little power, and last nearly forever, so I see no real problem with running them all the time, too. But I have old fashioned filament bulbs, so I like turning them off during the day, when the strobes are on.

BobTurner said:

the strobes are also the anti-collision lights, which the FARs require you to run both day and night (except off in the interest of safety...).

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Good point. That makes me think that if the strobes are basically required, why would you ever want to use wig-wag mode on the wingtip strobes? Would there ever be a situation where wig-waging white lights would be more visible than fast flashes? I wouldn't think so.

Auburntsts said:

During the day (99.9% of my flying) I tend to fly with only the strobes on and Nav's off regardless of whether I'm VFR or IFR.

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With LEDs bulb life isn't a concern, same with current draw. Any particular reason why you shut the nav lights off?

unitink72 said:

Good point. That makes me think that if the strobes are basically required, why would you ever want to use wig-wag mode on the wingtip strobes? Would there ever be a situation where wig-waging white lights would be more visible than fast flashes? I wouldn't think so.

Click to expand...

G'day Josh

The wigwag feature was added for those who didn't have landing lights to flash.

During the day the longer duration (and appearing as moving) bursts of light should be more visible to others than the short duration flash (and the reverse is true at night!).
I would suggest that wig-wag mode during the day would be an effective anti-collision lighting method...

I've noticed that lots of the freight trains we have here also wigwag their headlights during the day, which is attention-getting at a distance through the heat haze.