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Am I night legal with the uAvionix tail beacon?

S

SwimmingDragonfly96

Well Known Member
I was not fully aware of this, but once I read Vic's new book, it mentioned that since I have the uAvionix tail beacon replacing my rear strobe, I am actually not night legal. I went back and forth with the builder on this for a while, and in the end, he admitted maybe Vic's correct. I just called uAvionix to talk about an ECHO UAT retrofit into my aircraft, and the guy on the phone told me that's bogus. He said I don't need a strobe and my position lights count as anti-collision lights. He said the ECHO UAT would work, but I am night legal and I shouldn't worry about it.

I'm looking into regs and I can't seem to come to a valid conclusion on my own. What do you all think?
 
Position lights do NOT count as anti-collision lights. If you have wingtip strobes/beacon not visible from the rear, you need a tail strobe/beacon.
 
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Hi Amir

Plan B can be to mount the tail beacon inside a wingtip instead, where it can do its ADS-B duties just the same as being on the tail. Lots of forum members have already done this, and it powers off your position light wiring in the same way.

Then, install a position/strobe light on the tail such as our Stand Alone tail light.

 
Plan C

Ignore the rules and carry on......just a suggestion.

My airplane "might or might not" comply with the same rule.....for 23 years.

Laird
 
Laird said:
Ignore the rules and carry on......just a suggestion.

My airplane "might or might not" comply with the same rule.....for 23 years.

Laird
Click to expand...

ADSB-OUT rules have been around for 23 years? I must have slept through some of those years.

The anti-collision light Regs are clear. Like Mel said, check your wingtip strobes. Some planes you can see the wingtip strobes from behind. If yours are installed where you can't see them from behind then you need one SOMEWHERE that can be seen from the rear.

You probably still have the light you removed from your tail when you installed the ADSB. Put that back on and install your ADSB in the wingtip like Paul said. That's a cheaper and faster solution than the ECHO UAT route.
 
Fix

Just go on..off..on..off.on..off……..with your adsb power switch.:) when flying at night.
 
Why not leave the tail beacon where it is and put one of the Whelen surface mount Vertex low-profile beacon lights on the belly? They are designed for 360 degree visibility and barely protrude from the skin with an aerodynamic profile. I would suggest red or white. Belly mounting has the advantage of not strobing the propeller for night flying. And why not wire it to the master switch so you can tell when you accidentally leave the master on. Especially if you have an expensive sensitive battery like an EarthX.

This video shows one wihthout the optional streamlined surface mount bezel:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vr_7nOnBq-Q
 
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Anti-collision light requirements

SwimmingDragonfly96 said:
I was not fully aware of this, but once I read Vic's new book, it mentioned that since I have the uAvionix tail beacon replacing my rear strobe, I am actually not night legal.
Click to expand...

You may not be day legal either. 91.205 (b) (11) says planes certificated after March 11, 1996 require an anti-collision light system. 91.209 (b) says if you have an anti-collision light system it has to be on. Just for more fun according to AOPA the FAA says if you have both a beacon and strobes they both have to work. Can't sub strobes for a broken beacon.
 
bbaggerman said:
You may not be day legal either. 91.205 (b) (11) says planes certificated after March 11, 1996 require an anti-collision light system. 91.209 (b) says if you have an anti-collision light system it has to be on. Just for more fun according to AOPA the FAA says if you have both a beacon and strobes they both have to work. Can't sub strobes for a broken beacon.
Click to expand...

§91.205 does no apply to experimental amateur-built aircraft during day VFR.
 
jliltd said:
Why not leave the tail beacon where it is and put one of the Whelen surface mount Vertex low-profile beacon lights on the belly? They are designed for 360 degree visibility and barely protrude from the skin with an aerodynamic profile.
Click to expand...

That's 360 degrees of visibility below the horizontal plane of the aircraft. You still need something for above the horizontal plane. ie. someone 200 feet above you and approaching from the rear won't see your belly strobe.
 
On your 6.......

Pilot135pd said:
Like Mel said, check your wingtip strobes. Some planes you can see the wingtip strobes from behind. If yours are installed where you can't see them from behind then you need one SOMEWHERE that can be seen from the rear.
Click to expand...

This is assuming someone coming up from behind will actually catch UP with you! You are flying an RV, after all.....:D:D:D Just kidding... I make a joke....:p

Yes: my wing-tip strobes (visible from 180 degrees each side) would be on all the time whether it was a regulation or not. These are "small" airplanes and anything I can do to make me more visible is a plus.....anything shy of painting the wingtips and tail International Orange, that is.....:D I have the Echo/SkyFI set up and it was not too big a deal to install. Of course, I had things disassembled to work on other things.... But with that ADS-B, I can't go above 18,000 feet......:p
 
bbaggerman said:
You may not be day legal either. 91.205 (b) (11) says planes certificated after March 11, 1996 require an anti-collision light system. 91.209 (b) says if you have an anti-collision light system it has to be on. Just for more fun according to AOPA the FAA says if you have both a beacon and strobes they both have to work. Can't sub strobes for a broken beacon.
Click to expand...

You went into the Regulation but skipped the title. I highlighted the important part you missed :

91.205 - Powered civil aircraft with standard category U.S. airworthiness certificates.
 
Pilot135pd said:
You went into the Regulation but skipped the title. I highlighted the important part you missed :

91.205 - Powered civil aircraft with standard category U.S. airworthiness certificates.
Click to expand...

Yeah but if your operating limitations State that flying at night is not allowed unless equipt with lights IAW Far91.205, then that section DOES apply to EAB.
 
Taltruda said:
Yeah but if your operating limitations State that flying at night is not allowed unless equipt with lights IAW Far91.205, then that section DOES apply to EAB.
Click to expand...

I'll highlight part of your post too :

"Yeah but if your operating..."
 
Taltruda said:
Yeah but if your operating limitations State that flying at night is not allowed unless equipt with lights IAW Far91.205, then that section DOES apply to EAB.
Click to expand...

It does NOT apply while flying day VFR!
 
$100 in red MSTRB 360 degree models, one on belly, one on vert stab aft enough to be shadowed from cockpit and wing tops.
 

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