If you are a pilot, you are likely to use the PAPI light path lamps during your final approach to landing. But do you know how they work? Here is what you need to know...
Are you on the path of slipping?
Babi lights are a wonderful visual reference for a stable final approach. Whether you are flying VFR or IFR, following Papi is a good idea.
A series of 4 horizontal lights will appear 2 red, 2 white when it flies on the applicable slide path (usually 3 degrees).
The more the red lights you see, the lower the sliding path.
- If you are slightly low on the sliding path, you will see 3 white and 1 white (2.8 degrees).
- If you are low on the sliding path, you will see 4 in red and white (less than 2.5 degrees).
The more the white lights you see, the higher the sliding path.
- If you are slightly high on the sliding path, you will see red and 3 white (3.2 degrees).
- If you are high on the sliding path, you will see 0 red and 4 white (over 3.5 degrees).
You are trying to remember what the lights mean? Use the phrase “All White, you are high as a paper plane. All are red, you are dead.”
Papi system design
The location of your plane (and thus your sight) determines the colored lights that you will see abroad. A series of fixed lenses and color filters on Papi lamps make it happen, and they are designed to help you maintain the corner of the fixed sliding path. While you decline under the slip track, the lights (from right to left) will fade from white to red. The opposite is true of flying on the sliding path.
Most of the time, the door lamps are located on the left side of the runway. The non -standard site on the right side of the runway.
In 2008, some Papis began the update phase, although LED lights replace incandescent lamps.
Babi against Fassi
While we focus on Papis in this article, you will also find Vasis throughout the country as well. According to the goal, Vasi slope slope index (VASI) It is a system of lights arranged to provide visual descent direction information during the approach to the runway. These lights are visible from 3-5 miles during the day to 20 miles or more at night. VASI visual slipping path provides a safe permit for a plus or minus 10 degrees of the extended midfield and to 4 nm of the runway threshold.
If you see two red bulbs on two white bulbs, you are on the path of slipping. Although the corners of the natural slipping path are 3 degrees, the VASI lights in some airports may reach 4.5 degrees to give suitable clearances to the obstacle.
the PAPI pathway index (PAPI) Light units similar to VASI are used, but are installed in a row of two or four light units. These lights are visible from about 5 miles during the day to 20 miles at night. The path of visual slip from Chapter A safe obstruction permit usually provides a plus or minus 10 degrees of midfield extending to 3.4 nm of the runway threshold.
Again … white lamps and two red lamps mean that you are on the applicable slide path.
Busy in use
According to FAA“There is 938 Papis in the national airspace system. Papis is used to replace visual slope indicators (VASI), support for the commercial aviation safety team (CST) and new requirements (Lasho) new requirements.”
Here is what appears to be a row from the lights of my door from the ground …
Exceptions there …
In most airports equipped with the visual direction of the runway, a standard sliding path will fly of 3 degrees. But this is not the case everywhere. Some airports adjust the path of Babi slide for terrain or obstacles.
In Steamboat Springs, Colorado, 2 Papi Light For Runway 32 in 4 degrees due to high terrain.
Pilots are prohibited from returning to 4 light Babi at Molocai Airport (PHMK) exceeding 1.8 nm of the landing threshold due to the rapidly increasing terrain. In Molokai, Papi is located in the 4 -degree slip path and is installed as a reference for straight traffic.
Fly your approach using Papi
In almost each case, the door will give a single -engine piston plane more than enough to land and stop before the end of the runway. One engine piston is likely to be limited to the target of the threshold instead of overcoming the runway after landing near the target points.
The runway that aims at the goal points (usually calls 1000 feet) is an ideal goal for decline towards it, and you must plan to land away from 200 feet of it. If the decline allows, it will ensure that there is some distance before the landing point that you do not land. There is rarely a time when landing on numbers is safer than landing near the target point.
Configure changes, The back windAnd the fall in stopping and application is some of the reasons that make you plan to drop before the script of the target point, to ensure that enough use is left. For this reason, it is not a firm rule that you follow every time it falls. But in most cases, the use of vertical guidance to drop in the landing zone in the runway is the safest option.
Do you use Papi as a visual reference when flying? Tell us in the comments below.