I do not live in Europe but while flying from London to Amsterdam at night I see a few sets of red lights in the channel. Could some one explain what these are? they show up in rows/cols of maybe 8x8
Yes wind turbines - I’ve seen them several
times during a “real” flight… even though my definition of real vs game is getting a bit confusing these days!
The English Channel as are many areas around the world are navigable waterways. The international body responsible for safe ship handling (US Coast Guard in the United States-similar origination in the UK) and in agreements have determined this rule of thumb. Red Lights on right side on Returning from Sea going upriver/channel toward harbor. Green Lights on the down stream or out to sea channel side. Yes, Windmills will have red warning (should be strobe possibly-but red) light as well so planes can see them. Red is used as it does not disrupt night vision as bad, and our eyes pick up red quicker than any other color. At water level, again as rule above, their will be markers to show the hazard and direction. Believe, all local harbors around the world have a system, where ship is coming in, a local pilot (read qualified ship captain well versed in local navigation of waters) is placed aboard to mitigate collisions at sea close to land. Additionally, in the English channel, during the war, they built many gun emplacements and those structures are still in place, rusting away. Those have navigation beacons on them as well. The English channel, the straight of Gibraltar, Suez Canal, Panama Canal, and many other body’s of water which are navigable have large arrays of navigation beacons or buoys directing ships at sea on which way to travel. Plus very, very busy waterways for ship traffic. That is what you are seeing when flying at night.
Not the papa lights; the red lights that appear in the middle of the english channel and some other places around the world, which have been solved as being wind generators.
Maybe one day I will fly close by and take a more detailed look. but for now its not on top of my priority list.