Simviation Forum - im confused

Apr 29^th, 2005 at 1:44pm

JackieAdkins Offline
Colonel
Home Airport: KTUL
Tulsa, Oklahoma

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Posts: 298

ok the other day i was sitting at my local airport(KTUL) watching the planes come in and noticed the string of 4 red lights on the left side did not cahnge from red-white like they always do in the game. why did they not do this? was it because they might have been doing a visual approach instead of an ILS maybe? i dunno.

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Reply #1 - Apr 29^th, 2005 at 1:46pm

dan741749 Offline
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oh noes

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It is for the visual approach. The lights change as your viewing angle changes to tell you whether or not you're on the glideslope

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Reply #2 - Apr 29^th, 2005 at 2:09pm

Craig. Offline
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Birmingham

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as dan said, they change with the angle you view them, they dont change by how close a plane gets.

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Reply #3 - Apr 29^th, 2005 at 2:34pm

Nexus Offline
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The greater of two evils...

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Completely normal, because you see the VASI lights from waaay below, and rightfully: they indicate just that, by showing 4 red lights

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Reply #4 - Apr 29^th, 2005 at 4:03pm

beefhole Offline
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common' yigs!
Philadelphia

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Wow. Never knew that that was how they worked. Very informative.

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Reply #5 - Apr 29^th, 2005 at 4:15pm

Nexus Offline
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The greater of two evils...

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what?! ???
Don't you have airlaw and operational procedures at your school? ???

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Reply #6 - Apr 29^th, 2005 at 5:22pm

Mobius Offline
Colonel
Highest Point in the Lightning
Storm
Wisconsin

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If you see VASI or PAPI lights in the fog when the conditions are just right, you can actually see the red and white beams of light projected from the lights light a flashlight in the dust.

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Reply #7 - Apr 29^th, 2005 at 6:16pm

beefhole Offline
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common' yigs!
Philadelphia

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Quote:

what?! ???
Don't you have airlaw and operational procedures at your school? ???

??? I know what a VASI is, I just didn't know that that was how it projected the lights...

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Reply #8 - Apr 30^th, 2005 at 2:01pm

Boss_BlueAngels Offline
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I fly airplanes upside
down for fun.
Snohomish

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Also, they don't just change from red to white either like they do on FS... it's a gradual transition from red to pink, to white.

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Reply #9 - May 11^th, 2005 at 5:25pm

MadDriver Offline
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Anchorage, Alaska

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I can't imagine getting my PPL and not knowing how a VASI works. I'm only a couple hours away, but I learned all that way before I even started flying. It seems like it should be.... required.. maybe?!?!

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Reply #10 - May 11^th, 2005 at 5:36pm

Woodlouse2002 Offline
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I like jam.
Cornwall, England

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It strikes me that it doesn't really matter to the pilot how it works. Just so long as it does. Tongue

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Reply #11 - May 11^th, 2005 at 7:56pm

beefhole Offline
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common' yigs!
Philadelphia

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Quote:

It strikes me that it doesn't really matter to the pilot how it works. Just so long as it does. Tongue

That's what I was thinking ??? It's not anywhere in the Jeppessen reading.... should I go hide under a rock before I'm beaten to death, or should I make it easier on you guys?

Grin

im playin

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Reply #12 - May 12^th, 2005 at 10:59am

beaky Offline
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Uhhhh.... yup!
Newark, NJ USA

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Don't know why you couldn't find it in your AIM... check this link. I tried to find a good picture of a VASI or PAPI unit to no avail... basically, it's a box with lights inside that emit a split beam. Depending on the angle you're viewing it from, you'll see red or white as you approach it (then there's the red/yellow/green tricolor system). And yes, sometimes PAPIs look pink- I've seen it in RL. I think it's because although the red and white boxes are arrayed side-by-side, they're set so their light converges at a certain distance. Red plus white equals pink.
http://www.faa.gov/ATpubs/AIM/Chap2/aim0201.html

The mnemonic I was taught for VASI:
Red over white: just right (on glideslope)
White over white: you'll fly all night (above glideslope)
Red over red: you're dead! (below glideslope)

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