Louis' Fly Page

Here's some explanation on the use of runway lighting in the editor.

When you create new airports or modify existing ones, you gotta use the Database Editor which is incorporated in the Fly Editor. Several people, including myself, wrote howto's, tutorials etc., because the editing is something like a "trial-and-error" concept.

When you look into the Database Values text, there is an awful lot on runway lighting systems. Also, the individual runway records house a lot of lines and some explanation could be very useful.

First of, every runway has a high end and a low end. Let's take an example, a runway 27-09. We'll assume the 27 end is the high end, so the 09 end then is the low end. Both runway ends can have different lighting systems.

Look at the lines "Runway End Lights (high), Runway Alignment Lights (high), etc. to Runway Sequence Flashing Lights (high)": these can be set to anything BUT empty or the hex value 0x2. If you do that you simply "switch these systems on". Intensity has no effect here. If you leave these lines empty, the systems are switched off. Note that these lines come twice, the other set is for the other runway end. In fact, the lines Runway Alignment Lights and Runway Sequence Flashing lights can be left empty, since these systems are activated in the Runway Light System lines.

On the Runway Light System lines you therefore don't need to fill in Edge Lights, Centerline Lights, TD Zone lights, End lights and Threshold Lights. You can simply use these lines for Alignment Systems and Flashing Lights (which come together with several ALS systems), plus the different VASI or PAPI systems.

The Database Values text lists an awful lot of systems, but please note that the majority of them isn't available (yet). For ALS systems you can use values 10-15, plus 42; for GS signaling the values 43, 46, 47, 48 and 50 work. And again, values 2 to 9 are "set" in the "Runway xxx Lights (High)" lines.

I made some screenshots of the different systems. Please note that several systems include sequence flashing lights, which don't show up here. Usually these run in front of the main alignment lights. ODALS doesn't incorporate these "running lights".

	These are ALSF-2 lights, plus a PAPI system left of the runway just beyond the green threshold lights. Threshold lights are at the beginning of the runway, unless you specify a "displaced threshold value", like here. In that case they're split into 2 rows on each side of the runway.
	The simple variant is ALSF-1 or ALSAF, here together with a VT system, to the right of the runway. When you get closer to the ground and the lights, you'll see that the first 3 individual lightpoints will "grow" to 5 lightpoints. Up in the sky they'll show as "one bulb only"...
	This time a SSALF or SALS system combined with PVASI (Pulsating VASI, i.e. the lights blink) on the left side.
	Nearly the same but this one is listed as SSALR. The GS lights are V3 type (barely visible behind the left side threshold bar).
	This is the MALSF or SALSF system. You can see the last one of the "running lights" strobing here. There is no GS lighting system working here.
	... and the MALSR system, with a VASI system on the right side of the runway.
	Finally, the ODALS lights. These simply switch on and off like an orange blinking traffic light and are visible from all directions.

With the Runway Glideslope Type, Configuration and Location lines you can set the number of lighting sets for VASI and PAPI systems. Usually you fill value 2 for Type and L(eft), R(ight) or B(oth) for Location, which means where you want the boxes placed. You can set up to 16 sets of GS lights. If you then still can't see them, I'd suggest a visit to the doctor :-)

Usually lights are switched on at sunset and off at sunrise. This is set in the airport record, with the line Airport Lighting. Value 0 will do just that, value 2 will switch them on 24 hrs/day. Note that with value 0 and an overcast sky with low clouds, lights will also switch on during daylight hours.

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Page revised 20.09.2000