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Rotating Red Beacon? And if so, where?

claycookiemonster

Well Known Member
In my experience (military and commercial) the red beacon was turned on to indicate that the engine(s) were running. Position lights tell people how big I am, red beacon means stay away from props/inlets & exhausts, and landing/taxi lights mean what they say.

On a dark night at JFK, we (in a 767) nearly ran over a Beech 1900 on a taxiway because it's lights blended in with taxiway lights. Two lessons learned there: keep a watch out all the time, and consider NOT being exactly on the centerline of a taxiway.

I'd love to avoid being run over, so I'm wanting to include a red rotating/flashing light on my -8. But where to put it? The belly is no help on the ground. The top of the tail will likely flash over my shoulder into the cockpit.

Suggestions?
 
LED Strobes

Its my understanding we don't have to have a rotating beacon - I don't.

Before starting the engine I turn on my LED Strobes. Those suckers are bright enough in daylight to warn anyone the airplane is (or soon will be) active.
 
I have a new factory built Waco YMF with very small red very bright led flashing light which takes the of a red rotating beacon. It is located on the belly just aft of the engine in the landing gear area. It is hot wired to the master switch and is very effective day or night.
 

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Rotating Red Beacon

I'm also considering a Rotating Beacon. Check out superbrightleds. They have a nice Mini Emergency Vehicle LED Warning Light.
 
Other problem

i believe the FAA rule is that a rotating becaon or strobes must be on anytime the engine is running. But my problem is the strobes may be too bright on the ground. They may be blinding.
What have others done with the FLYLeds strobes on the ground?
 
i believe the FAA rule is that a rotating becaon or strobes must be on anytime the engine is running. But my problem is the strobes may be too bright on the ground. They may be blinding.
What have others done with the FLYLeds strobes on the ground?

Can you share your reference to the FAA rule?
 
FAR 91.209(b)

§ 91.209 Aircraft lights.
No person may:
(a)....
(b) Operate an aircraft that is
equipped with an anticollision light
system, unless it has lighted anticollision lights. However, the anticollision lights need not be lighted
when the pilot-in-command determines
that, because of operating conditions,
it would be in the interest of safety to
turn the lights off.

From the EAA:
Am I required to have anti-collision lights on my homebuilt?

No, if you are only going to using your aircraft for day, VFR flight. FAR 91.205 lists the instrument and equipment requirements for standard category aircraft. This FAR does not apply to Experimental-Amateur Built aircraft.
 
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i believe the FAA rule is that a rotating becaon or strobes must be on anytime the engine is running.
Not so, see 91.209(b). What I have seen though is that Cirrus apparently puts “strobes on” on their “before start” checklist so that they’re flashing on the ground which then makes some guys think that it’s an “FAA rule”. It’s not. Use common sense on the ground, strobes off at night so you don’t blind other guys taxiing.

What I did for a beacon light is install this little $40 bugger on the belly; even with the belly mount it throws plenty of light to get people’s attention. No glare in the cockpit.
https://www.superbrightleds.com/mor...ni-emergency-vehicle-led-warning-lights/1905/
 
Yes, strobes on continually while on the ground is annoying, even in day time. At night, I've heard many radio calls about "Strobes!" and then they usually go out. Perhaps a belly beacon would put out enough of a red flash on the ground to warn people. Thinking, thinking...
 
Some good points already made:
* Strobes can be obnoxiously bright on the ground, even in daytime.
* In some circumstances, your lights can blend in with background lights making your plane hard to see. I've found a bunch of similar ASRS reports.

It's also the case that on many bizjets, their red flashing lights can be very hard to see, ground to ground.

No, you don't *need* red flashing lights, but that doesn't mean that the safety benefits are never worthwhile in terms of bucks, weight, drag and complexity.
 
I would love a low drag anti collision light.. I’ve seen one faired into the top of the VS that looked like it would work. What’s the rule on how visible it needs to be (how much it needs to stick up)
 
I did this on my RV-7. Not flying yet (how time flies...) but it is plenty bright, weighs very little, and doesn't protrude much. Mounting it on top of the rudder and paying attention the shape of the cutout prevents it from reflecting off the wings. Since it's a taildragger it seems plenty visible from adult-eye height or from the cockpit of another aircraft.

Full details here: https://www.rv7blog.com/2012/10/28/red-beacon/

20121028_rudder_cap8.jpg
20121028_beacon8.jpg
 
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FAR 91.205 lists the instrument and equipment requirements for standard category aircraft. This FAR does not apply to Experimental-Amateur Built aircraft.

Pretty sure that your Op Lim's call out this paragraph as required and therefore it is compulsory for EAB. I know that they call out speicifc FARs for IFR and night VFR equipage and would be surprised if the Day VFR requirements were not there as well.
 
I already have Strobes/Nav but added an Aveo Redbaron mini beacon for engine start/taxi. Debated whether to put it on belly or top but glad I went with belly because it is bright! I do however love Matt’s idea though.
C1-CAA448-DE09-498-B-9-F8-B-2-EBE6-CD0-C453.png
 
Pretty sure that your Op Lim's call out this paragraph as required and therefore it is compulsory for EAB. I know that they call out speicifc FARs for IFR and night VFR equipage and would be surprised if the Day VFR requirements were not there as well.

Well, be surprised. For day vfr operations of an EAB no lights are required to be installed.
 
Whether you install one or not is entirely up to you guys, but just a point of clarification here; A red rotating beacon is not required per FAR.91. Only anti-collision lights (strobes).

172's and whatnot only have them at this point because they are required by the regulating authority in several other countries and it's easier to just stick them on everything coming out the door rather than kit them for individual export requirements
 
Whether you install one or not is entirely up to you guys, but just a point of clarification here; A red rotating beacon is not required per FAR.91. Only anti-collision lights (strobes).

172's and whatnot only have them at this point because they are required by the regulating authority in several other countries and it's easier to just stick them on everything coming out the door rather than kit them for individual export requirements

Just to be clear, ‘anti-collision’ lights can be strobes or rotating (flashing) beacons. I’ve flown 152s with a red beacon, no strobes. And a 172RG with strobes, no beacon. Whatever it is, it’s supposed to meet certain coverage and brightness specs.
 
Sorry, I believe you're correct-

I have Cessna on my mind because I deal with this question frequently and it's in the KOEL as strobes required, beacon not required that way on that particular airplane.
 
I already have Strobes/Nav but added an Aveo Redbaron mini beacon for engine start/taxi. Debated whether to put it on belly or top but glad I went with belly because it is bright! I do however love Matt’s idea though.
C1-CAA448-DE09-498-B-9-F8-B-2-EBE6-CD0-C453.png

X2 for the Aveo Red Barons. I mounted two of them on the fuselage at exactly the same point over/under each other on the fuselage top and bottom half way back between the rear window and the vertical stab. The lower beacon is the full sized Red Baron. The upper beacon is the Red Baron Mini, which sits low enough that the aircraft structure and canopy block the light from smacking my panel. They are synchronized.

Overkill? Maybe, but I’m bloody visible.

As for my lighting flow, my nav/position lights stay on all the time: That’s how I can tell at a glance if my master switch is on. Taxi light for taxi, plus landing light for takeoff. Beacons/strobes on when taking the runway until taxiing off the runway. For arrival, the landing light comes on when I’m cleared to land (towered) or intend to land (non-towered).
 
FWIW I use the Kuntzleman Red LED Beacon on my airplane and it is SUPER bright.
Beacon 21.JPG

As for my lighting flow, my nav/position lights stay on all the time: That’s how I can tell at a glance if my master switch is on. Taxi light for taxi, plus landing light for takeoff. Beacons/strobes on when taking the runway until taxiing off the runway. For arrival, the landing light comes on when I’m cleared to land (towered) or intend to land (non-towered).
EXACTLY the flow I use because it just makes sense to me.

:cool:
 
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Beacon/Strobes

I did something similar to the one below, mine is a little taller. It does not bother me at night. I also have wing tip strobes, but dislike using them on the ground at night when near other aircraft. Also since ‘anti-collision’ lights can be EITHER strobes or rotating (flashing) beacons. I like having both. If you have only strobe lights and one fails…. Are you still legal? I’m good to go with the Beacon. (Or legal with strobes if the beacon fails)


I did this on my RV-7. Not flying yet (how time flies...) but it is plenty bright, weighs very little, and doesn't protrude much. Mounting it on top of the rudder and paying attention the shape of the cutout prevents it from reflecting off the wings. Since it's a taildragger it seems plenty visible from adult-eye height or from the cockpit of another aircraft.

Full details here: https://www.rv7blog.com/2012/10/28/red-beacon/

20121028_rudder_cap8.jpg
20121028_beacon8.jpg
 
Believe it or not, but the F-111's beacon would RETRACT at high speeds. Probably got an extra half knot out of that. Nothing too good for our men in blue, I guess. The T-38's rudder and wingtips were so thin that a central light was placed within and there were colored lenses on both sides, so nothing was dragging out in the breeze.

That belly light is really good. Thanks.
 
1. It doesn't have to rotate, it can flash.

2. I could find nothing in the rules that states you can't distribute the red flashing like you do with strobes, just the 360 degree view and +- 75 degrees horizontal.

3. Keep the flashes under 400 effective candela, and it can't be part of the anti-collision system(not bright enough, but plenty for ground). So you don't have to keep it on at all times since it's not part of the anti-collision system. Red leds aren't as bright as the white ones, so this should be easy.

4. Since it's not part of the anti-collision system, you don't have to meet the +- 75 degrees. Design it for ground visibility, and landing planes and tower can see you on the ground.
 
LED Hideaway Strobe Lights - Mini Emergency Vehicle LED Warning Lights w/ Built-In Controller - Surface Mount
Part Number: MSTRB

Red, 360 degree, $40. Silent RFI/EMI, Bright, small.
 
Whelen Vertex in Red

I use this. Inexpensive, very bright, small and adjustable. The VTX609R only protrudes 1” round above the surface of the skin for 360° flash.

I’ve installed one of these on my last three airplanes, two on the top of the VS, and one on the belly, and very happy with them.

I recommend the belly under the baggage floor. It’s easily seen by others on the ground day or night, but unnoticeable from the cabin in the air.

And having it come on with the master is a great reminder that you left it on….
 
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Beacon in top VS fairing.

VS fairing. Sanded grey gel coat off & mounted red LED strip inside. Coated in west systems tinted red & top coat of metallic silver.

45C7F526-FF60-4A48-8179-E12D1FE24139.jpeg

8B293832-B204-4867-8979-45736C32451E.jpeg
 
AB1900, that's what I'm thinking of. I'm a little hazy about how you managed to replace opaque fiberglass with a clear cover of the exact same shape? Expound and educate me, please! Also, is the cover red, or just the lights inside? Or both?
 
Tail beacon solution for TailbeaconX install

Great thread.
Gave me a solution for installing a TailbeaconX which comes with nav light only, I'd be loosing my rear strobe. But now I see a cheap solution!
 
If you have only strobe lights and one fails…. Are you still legal? I’m good to go with the Beacon. (Or legal with strobes if the beacon fails)

See attached Letts Letter from FAA legal. FAA says if you have both (strobes and beacon), you gotta use both, and both (strobes and beacon) generally have to be working.

Sigh. No good deed goes unpunished.
 

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See attached Letts Letter from FAA legal. FAA says if you have both (strobes and beacon), you gotta use both, and both (strobes and beacon) generally have to be working.

Sigh. No good deed goes unpunished.

Yes, I have heard of the faa citing a pilot for departing, day-vfr, with a known inop beacon. That said, I believe eab operators have an ‘out’. First, note that far 91.205 specifically excludes EAB (‘standard category airworthiness’). Many op limits reference 91.205 for night or ifr operation, but not for day-vfr. That leaves the ‘if you have them, you must use them’ rule. So if your beacon burns out, do not placard it ‘inop’. Instead, disable the CB, and label it ‘removed from service’. There is no requirement to have one for an eab in day-vfr. I am not a lawyer, but I don’t see how the faa can cite you for not having equipment that they say is not required. Now, of course, common sense says to fix it as soon as possible.
 
See attached Letts Letter from FAA legal. FAA says if you have both (strobes and beacon), you gotta use both, and both (strobes and beacon) generally have to be working.

Sigh. No good deed goes unpunished.


And that's why you set up your red ground beacon (i.e. aux taxi light) to NOT meet the specs of a legit red beacon................
 
Beacon in Upper VS Fairing.

Hi Clay

Sorry it's taken so long. I replied the other day but the post was lost in cyberspace.

My VS fairing went through a transformation. The beacon was the easy part.

1- Sanded off the grey gel coat. It's only a thin layer. I filled it back to normal thickness with a layer or 2 of epoxy & cloth. This turns out really transparent.

2- Made 2x brackets to mount across the inside of the fairing. I installed nutplates in the middle of the cross brackets so I could screw a light mounting plate to them from underneath. Brackets were installed using 3/32 size countersunk blind rivets through the fairing skin (Didn't know you could get these. They're great). I also used a small amount of flox to act as glue. I covered the rivets with a layer of cloth on the outside to hide them.

3- Made a light mounting plate from 16 thou Al. Attached 2x 6" strips of red LED to the plate. The strip has 2x red LED's per inch. This plate fits inside the fairing & screws to brackets squashing the LED strip between the bracket & plate. You can adjust the position of the LED strip so the bracket covers a control diode & misses an LED. The plate is easily removed to change the lights.

4- I wired the LED strips together & connected them to a strobe control box I had. Mounting this is a work in progress. Depends if it's able to stay in place after flight testing & weather it interferes with the HD camera mounted on the front of the fairing.

5- Finished off with a layer of clear epoxy tinted with transparent red from nordglass. Then a final coat of clear with Nordglass metallic silver.

6- It is hot wired to the master switch so no additional switch required. It will also act as a telltale for when I accidentally leave the Master on.

I'll try & get some pics next time I'm in the hangar.

Cheers

AB

I also added a strobe in the rudder bottom Fairing. I trimmed the rudder Fairing to clear the tailwheel sting. Layered up with epoxy cloth on the inside. Tapped into the tail strobe wiring & added a 6" strip of red LED that flashes downwards through the patch in the fairing.
 
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I thought of all those things you mentioned back in the late 80s when I built my first RV. You may remember the US Air aircraft landing on a small Regional turboprop in position and hokd at LAX many years ago? US AIR was cleared to land and the plane on the runway in touchdown zone was invisible with all the other lighrs.

Really you are NOT going to be on JFK or LAX at night.

Don't add weight, add cost and effort to put in a rotating or anti collision beacon. It's just not needed. Put on all your Nav lights, strobes if no other planes near, and your Taxi / Landing lights with wig wags and you'll be pretty visible to anybody.

How much night are you going to fly in personal airplane?
 
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Amazing. I've finally gotten confident in my metal working, but other skills still seem like magic to me. How did you get hand laid up fiberglass to be clean and clear? I was assuming I'd need to form some clear Lexan (or equivalent) formed to have the same outcome.

I'm hoping to enclose a red LED flasher under something clean in the top of the VS. You did a great job of doing what I hoped to do.
 
Clear fibreglass

Hand laid fibreglass is mostly clear if the resin is dabbed into the fibres with a brush. Use release tape to catch the drips & keep it reasonably smooth. Sand it afterwards then it’s ready for final coats.
 
See attached Letts Letter from FAA legal. FAA says if you have both (strobes and beacon), you gotta use both, and both (strobes and beacon) generally have to be working.

Sigh. No good deed goes unpunished.

Strobes are not required to be on for ground operations. I would like to recommend folks read the FAR's and reference them chapter and verse rather than a merely stating a belief. Please do your due diligence.

And one person did just that. Good Job.....However, The original post specifically asked about ground operations. It seems to me like the attached reply from a CFI quoting an FAA interpretation applies to the original post. However, a careful reading of the letter of interpretation from the FAA and a reading of the FAR's reveals that this letter applies to FLIGHT operations not ground operations.

The operator I fly for has +5000 pilots. We fly at night. We have an FAA approved checklist. The strobe light are off for all taxi operations. I cannot for the life of me believe that anyone could believe that it's safe and prudent to have strobe lights operating at night in a taxi environment. Its not illegal to do so, but if your taxiing ahead of me at night I'll ask you to turn them off.
 
I cannot for the life of me believe that anyone could believe that it's safe and prudent to have strobe lights operating at night in a taxi environment. Its not illegal to do so, but if your taxiing ahead of me at night I'll ask you to turn them off.
AMEN!!!

It drives me crazy when somebody does that. IMHO it is unsafe and completely inconsiderate of others.

:mad:
 
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I did this on my RV-7. Not flying yet (how time flies...) but it is plenty bright, weighs very little, and doesn't protrude much. Mounting it on top of the rudder and paying attention the shape of the cutout prevents it from reflecting off the wings. Since it's a taildragger it seems plenty visible from adult-eye height or from the cockpit of another aircraft.

Full details here: https://www.rv7blog.com/2012/10/28/red-beacon/

20121028_rudder_cap8.jpg
20121028_beacon8.jpg

That looks really good! This is another one of those threads where I have to tell my brain "Please resist the urge to do yet another mod, and just get the dang airplane done!"
 
I’m also very interested in putting a red rotating or flashing beacon on my RV14. It’s just the way I was trained and operate in the GA and 121 world. Strobes come on when taxiing onto the runway, otherwise they are off. I’d like a beacon for ground ops.

I’ve been following this thread with interest and perusing the interwebs in search of a good/small/bright/cheap beacon. I stumbled across the Aveo Engineering MicroMax beacon. It is designed for drones but there is no reason it can’t work on an RV.

Last week, when picking up my ZipTips, I spoke with Damien about it. Long story short, I have one in hand. I’ve got some video of it being tested in my shop and driveway at night and I’m impressed. If I can figure out how to upload it to YouTube, I will.
 

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I’m also very interested in putting a red rotating or flashing beacon on my RV14. {SNIP} I stumbled across the Aveo Engineering MicroMax beacon. It is designed for drones but there is no reason it can’t work on an RV.

So where are you going to mount it? Belly would be good and reduce reflection into cockpit but less visible during ground Ops. On turtle deck aft might be better for others to see it yet still not cause too much reflection into cockpit.

EDIT. I found this idea. :D

1180.jpg
 
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At Oshkosh the folks at Whelen sold me a red LED Vertex beacon. Not for certified aircraft. Only for ambulances, firetrucks and experimental aircraft. :)

https://www.whelen.com/product/all/vertex/

It is easy to wire in with its controller mounted inline in the wiring. Lots of user selectable flash patterns. Small profile and you would not notice it up there in the day unless i pointed it out.

I mounted mine on top of the rudder fiberglass fairing. Gives a bright enough light for our uses. You are not likely to get brightness points on taxiway A at KORD though. :)

The rules are sometimes confusing about beacon light requirements. Even a B-737 can operate without one at night, even on ground, but the white strobes must work though for the flight portion. I learned this via the MEL when mine were inop. one night.

David
 
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Video Posted yet?

Interested to see the video, posted yet?

I’m also very interested in putting a red rotating or flashing beacon on my RV14. It’s just the way I was trained and operate in the GA and 121 world. Strobes come on when taxiing onto the runway, otherwise they are off. I’d like a beacon for ground ops.

I’ve been following this thread with interest and perusing the interwebs in search of a good/small/bright/cheap beacon. I stumbled across the Aveo Engineering MicroMax beacon. It is designed for drones but there is no reason it can’t work on an RV.

Last week, when picking up my ZipTips, I spoke with Damien about it. Long story short, I have one in hand. I’ve got some video of it being tested in my shop and driveway at night and I’m impressed. If I can figure out how to upload it to YouTube, I will.
 
Here is the YouTube video of the Aveo “beacon”. Bear in mind that this is a quick and dirty video with no production value. I was just trying to get a feel for the brightness. There aren’t even any airplane parts in the video but to keep it RV related, it was taken just outside my future RV factory, once my parts arrive.

https://youtu.be/-8sc34QnSPg

The only audio is my neighbor sanding something on his deck. You may as well hit the mute button.
 
Not recommend

EDIT. I found this idea. :D

1180.jpg

I cannot in good faith recommend the above as you will be disappointed with the highly intermittent and unreliable operation, however, there is a similar alternative produced in southern Alberta that is much more reliable and better suited for aviation applications. 😁😉
 
Here is the YouTube video of the Aveo “beacon”. Bear in mind that this is a quick and dirty video with no production value. I was just trying to get a feel for the brightness. There aren’t even any airplane parts in the video but to keep it RV related, it was taken just outside my future RV factory, once my parts arrive.

https://youtu.be/-8sc34QnSPg

The only audio is my neighbor sanding something on his deck. You may as well hit the mute button.

Thanks for the video. Looks bright!
 
I use this. Inexpensive, very bright, small and adjustable. The VTX609R only protrudes 1” round above the surface of the skin for 360° flash...


...I recommend the belly under the baggage floor. It’s easily seen by others on the ground day or night, but unnoticeable from the cabin in the air.

Do you have any pictures of the VTX609R installed on the belly of your RV-10?

I'd like to get an idea of how visible this placement is on the ground during the day.
 
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