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Pilot-controlled lighting in Europe!

I hope somebody better informed drops in, but AIUI that employee was pushing a particular interpretation of the radio usage regs which was that they could be used for voice but not for switching lights. This interpretation prevented PCL being done officially anywhere in the UK.

I suppose it would really come down to how the person WANTED to interpret it.

If you wanted to, it would be very easy to see that a pilot announcing on frequency that they were 5 nm west of the field inbound were making perfect use of the frequency, and that fact that a machine turned the lights on whenever it heard a tranmission didn't change the fact that it was a voice communication.

I think that it would take a fairly perverse interpretation to say that that wasn't a voice communication ;)

EIWT Weston, Ireland

I would agree; the challenge would be making the voice recognition robust, given the crap VHF comms, often crap radios, etc.

That's why traditional PCL uses just clicks on the PTT button, so the receiver only needs to detect the carrier appearing with the requisite pattern, and any modulation is irrelevant.

Personally, as I've said before, if such an issue was raised and the CAA made a stand over it, I would just go to SMS. I've never had SMS fail to transmit if below 2000ft, in the UK. And one would get an acknowledgement, which you won't get with PCL. In fact one could get a message back containing the total current drawn by the lamps so you know they are working OK.

I know for a fact there are UK airfields that have PCL, traditional PCL, click-operated on some frequency, but they keep it quiet, club members only.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

And one would get an acknowledgement, which you won't get with PCL.

Wouldn't the lights turn on? :D

EDHS, Germany

The Radio information says AFIS during hours, but A/A FR Only out of hours. Does this mean that you need French Level 4 to go there, or can you arrive speaking with Reims APP at 03:00?

It means you must speak French out of AFIS hours (yes, you really should have French Level 4...but I don't want to open that can of worms!)

Bordeaux

PCL = click the radio transmit button 7 times on the designated frequency within 5 seconds. After you have the runway in sight I would recommend (permitting weather) you dim the lights by clicking 3 (low intensity) or 5 (medium intensity) times for a better view of the surroundings when approaching the runway.

I've heard of systems using 5 clicks within 5 seconds, but I have never seen those.

Bushpilot C208/C182
FMMI/EHRD, Madagascar

The last time I flew at Badminton they had them there so that the Duke can fly in at night!

The procedure at Reims-Prunay is simple. The AFIS officer is there during AFIS hours. At these times you can fly into Reims IFR and get someone on the radio. IFR and VFR traffic is mixed, so you could be coming in on short final on the GPS approach while someone from the VFR traffic circuit is joining final just in front of you. The AFIS officer will inform you of other traffic or help out. You can just speak English on the radio.

Now, after AFIS hours (e.g. at night) you can still land and fly IFR or Night VFR to Reims-Prunay. Now, since it is France, you should call in the afternoon to doublecheck that the AFIS officer will affirm that the Pilot-Controlled-Lights (PCL) work that night. They sometimes might be out of order and a NOTAM or other notice is not always going out.

As you now approach the airport, all will be dark. You will be informed by the enroute ATC controller that you will be approaching the field and if you are familiar with the PCL procedure and ... that you need to speak French on the radio. Just confirm and switch to the tower frequency of Reims.

Then, click 5 times (click, click, click, click, click) with the radio transmitter button while tuned to the Reims-Prunay tower frequency to turn the lights on. Once you have spotted the runway, you can turn the intensity down to a lower setting by clicking 3 times. This is usually better as now you know where the runway is and the very intensive lights don't shine in your face while landing, so it is better to see where the runway is in relation to the surroundings. The lights stay on for 15 minutes, so just a few minutes before landing you can do another 3 clicks to reactivate. Once on the ground, go back to the previous controller and tell the controller that you are on the ground and ask him/her if he can close your flightplan for you. Otherwise you will have to call Le Bourget to close the plan.

As for the French: just learn how to say in French that you are final on the runway number and repeat that a few times. Then when landed, say in French that you cleared the runway. I don't speak any French, so I just read that from paper and write it on my approach sheet in front of me.

Now departing from the airport at night is the reverse. The only thing is that you need to get a clearance from Orly (in the case of Reims-Prunay). You can ask the AFIS officer for the number to call. In e.g. a night departure from Lyon-Bron you could call the controllers at Lyon-Exupery for the clearance.

I hope all is clear. If not, don't hesitate to ask. OK. With customs clearance from the UK, there might not be a way to fly into such fields straight from the UK. With me flying from the Netherlands, it is no problem. And the hotel is right next to the runway at Reims-Prunay.

EDLE, Netherlands

One additional comment when clicking on the radio to turn on the PCL system. Don't click too fast after each other (3 or 5 clicks) and also not too slow of course and don't start talking just before or right after the clicks as the talking is also seen as a click.

Last Tuesday I flew into Pontoise (near Paris) which also has a PCL system but at first could not get the lights on and had to go around for another try. Then it worked :-)

EDLE, Netherlands
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