A320 lights

[CaptainRude91]

@SkyVagrant4490

Nav Lights (also during the day) come on the moment the aircraft is tuned onto the ground controller frequency. It indicates that the aircraft is able to receive hails over the radio.

Not quite, the usual list as below. Also ATC doesn’t ask you if you are ready, you tell them and then they will tell you that you’ll need to delay your flight plan or TOBT first . Some airlines don’t even turn the navigation lights off at all. At some other aircraft they turn on automatically as soon as the ground power is connected.

@SkyVagrant4490

Beacon lights: The moment the aircraft received the push and start clearance over the radio, the pilot indicates receiving this clearance to the ground grew. Immediately followed up by a voice message over the intercom that’s connected to the wing walker and/or tug.

Beacon light is turned on upon receiving start-up clearance, this could be before, during or after push-back. A wing walker never handles communication with the crew, don’t know where you got that from. Must be a very long cable… Beacons could also be used for towing.

@SkyVagrant4490

Landing lights: Indicate a hampered speed below 10,000 feet. Both during take off and landing.

Landing lights are used to enhance visibility in the terminal maneuvering area, it does not signal anything like reduced speed or so.

@SkyVagrant4490

Imagine that you are on final approach, cleared for landing and you see an aircraft at the holding point. By not engaging it’s landing lights, strobe lights and transponder, it’s communicating to you to have a safe landing as he will wait for you.

An aircraft on approach won’t be blinded by some strobes, it is an annoyance when holding or taxiing behind though. Also most airports have Surface Movement Radar so transponder should be on already. TCAS should be OFF. ALT mode (Mode C) depends on the transponder type, could be automatic in some cases.

@SkyVagrant4490

It’s perfectly fine to keep it in taxi position, as the light shuts itself down the moment the nose wheel is retracted and re-engages after the gear is extended again.

Even though they are switched off automatically upon gear retraction, its usually common to switch them off upon gear retraction and switch them on upon receiving landing clearance.

@SkyVagrant4490

So sure, lights sometimes break down like anything does during a rough landing, but really not by putting them on and burning them up. The thought however made my day.

Lights break down more often than you might think, so it is common practice to turn them off whenever possible. During daylight keeping the logo and wing lights off, all lights except nav, strobe and beacons off passing FL100. Some of those lights can cause operational problems when they break down and ground the aircraft (yes due to a “stupid” light).