ACE - Airport Certified Employee Airfield Lighting and Maintenance Questions and Answers 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An airport maintenance technician performing a nightly check on a precision instrument runway observes that the runway centerline lights change from all white to alternating red and white. What does this color change indicate to a pilot?
- The aircraft is in the touchdown zone.
- The aircraft has 3,000 feet of runway remaining. (Correct answer)
- The aircraft is approaching a taxiway intersection.
- The runway is closed and should not be used for landing.
Correct answer: The aircraft has 3,000 feet of runway remaining.
According to FAA standards, on a precision instrument runway, the centerline lights are white until the last 3,000 feet. For the next 2,000 feet (from 3,000 ft to 1,000 ft remaining), the lights alternate red and white. For the last 1,000 feet, all centerline lights are red. This provides pilots with a visual indication of the remaining runway distance.
Question 2: A maintenance work order is generated for an unserviceable Precision Approach Path Indicator (PAPI) system on Runway 18. According to FAA Advisory Circular 150/5340-26C, which of the following is a critical maintenance task to ensure the PAPI provides accurate vertical guidance?
- Replacing all lamps with a higher wattage for increased brightness.
- Repainting the PAPI housing units to improve daytime visibility.
- Verifying and adjusting the unit's aiming angle with a certified clinometer. (Correct answer)
- Issuing a NOTAM for the outage before beginning any work.
Correct answer: Verifying and adjusting the unit's aiming angle with a certified clinometer.
The most critical maintenance task for a PAPI system is to ensure its vertical alignment is correct, as this directly affects the glide path information given to pilots. FAA Advisory Circulars and maintenance best practices require the use of a specialized tool, a clinometer, to verify and accurately adjust the aiming angle of the PAPI units.
Question 3: Which of the following lighting systems is specifically designed to provide pilots with a rapid and positive identification of the approach end of a runway, especially when it's surrounded by other lights or lacks contrast with the terrain?
- Runway End Identifier Lights (REIL) (Correct answer)
- Lead-In Lighting System (LDIN)
- Touchdown Zone Lights (TDZL)
- High Intensity Runway Lights (HIRL)
Correct answer: Runway End Identifier Lights (REIL)
Runway End Identifier Lights (REIL) are a pair of synchronized, high-intensity flashing lights located on each side of the runway threshold. Their specific purpose is to help pilots quickly and unmistakably identify the approach end of the runway.
Question 4: While performing maintenance on a taxiway that intersects with a runway, a technician notes a set of alternately flashing yellow lights installed on each side of the taxiway at the runway holding position. What are these lights called and what is their primary purpose?
- Clearance Bar Lights; to indicate the taxiway is clear.
- Stop Bar Lights; to signal when it is safe to cross the runway.
- Taxiway Edge Lights; to define the lateral limits of the taxiway.
- Runway Guard Lights; to enhance the conspicuity of the runway holding position. (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Runway Guard Lights; to enhance the conspicuity of the runway holding position.
These lights are Runway Guard Lights (RGLs). They consist of either elevated flashing yellow lights or a row of in-pavement yellow lights at the runway holding position. Their primary function is to make the holding position more conspicuous and warn pilots and vehicle operators that they are approaching an active runway.
Question 5: An airport operations team discovers a complete outage of the Medium Intensity Runway Lights (MIRL) for Runway 9/27. After confirming the outage cannot be immediately repaired, what is the required administrative action?
- Activate the pilot-controlled lighting system as a backup.
- Restrict operations on the runway to daytime VFR conditions only.
- Issue a Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) detailing the outage. (Correct answer)
- Dispatch maintenance to replace the constant current regulator.
Correct answer: Issue a Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) detailing the outage.
Whenever a critical airport lighting system becomes unserviceable and cannot be repaired immediately, the airport operator is required to issue a Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM). This ensures that all flight personnel are aware of the abnormal status of the lighting system, which is essential for flight safety, especially during night or low-visibility operations.
Question 6: According to FAA standards, what color are taxiway edge lights?
- Green
- White
- Blue (Correct answer)
- Yellow
Correct answer: Blue
Taxiway edge lights are always blue. This specific color is used to clearly distinguish taxiways from runways, which use white edge lights for most of their length.
ACE - Airport Certified Employee Airfield Lighting and Maintenance Questions and Answers 1
An airport maintenance technician performing a nightly check on a precision instrument runway observes that the runway centerline lights change from all white to alternating red and white.
What does this color change indicate to a pilot?