Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403

UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPIR Page 1

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

Aircraft Electrical Systems

Chapter 5
Aircraft Lighting System
 Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403
UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPIR Page 2

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

Lesson Outcomes
At the end of this chapter you should be able to:
Describe the operation of incandescent, fluorescent, halogen
and xenon flash tubes.
Recount the legal requirements of interior and exterior
lighting
Describe a typical flight deck instrument and flood lighting
system
State the layout and control of passenger cabin lighting.
Show knowledge of the location, control and maintenance of
exterior lighting.
State the safety implications of working on lighting systems.
The operation of the emergency lighting system.
Explain the attendant call system.
Fault rectify any of the above systems.
 Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403
UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPIR Page 3

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

Introduction
Aircraft lighting may be divided into 5 groups:

LIGHTS

FLIGHT PASSENGER CARGO & EXTERIOR EMERGENCY

COMPARTMENT COMPARTMENT SERVICE LIGHTING LIGHTING
LIGHTING LIGHTING COMPARTMENT
LIGHTING
 Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403
UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPIR Page 4

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

Flight Compartment Lights - Area illumination (flood lighting),

control panel lighting and indicator lights - including dimming and
testing as laid down in JAR25.
Passenger Compartment Lights - Illumination of the passenger
cabin, passenger signs, crew call lights, reading lights, toilet and
galley areas etc. ANO stated that all passenger compartments must
be illuminated.
Cargo and Service Compartment Lights - Illumination of cargo
compartments, service areas and cargo door areas for ground
operations and maintenance.
Exterior Lights - Illumination of the ground during landing and taxi
operations and make the aircraft visible in flight - as laid down in the
ANO. Also made for the illumination of tail plane logos and ice
inspection spot-lights.
Emergency Lights - Interior and exterior illumination of exits and exit
paths during emergency evacuation. (Also fitted to emergency
escape chutes).
 Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403
UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPIR Page 5

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

Type of lamp used in aircrafts

The incandescent
lamp
The figure on the
right shows how an
atom can emit light.
 Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403
UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPIR Page 6

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

• At the base, they have two metal

contacts, which connect to the ends
of an electrical circuit. The metal
contacts are attached to two stiff
wires, which are attached to a thin
metal filament. The filament sits in
the middle of the bulb, held up by a
glass mount. The wires and the
filament are housed in a glass bulb,
which is filled with an inert gas,
such as argon
• When the bulb is hooked up to a
power supply, an electric current
flows from one contact to the
other, through the wires and the
filament.
 Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403
UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPIR Page 7

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

As the electrons zip along through the filament, they are

constantly bumping into the atoms that make up the
filament. The energy of each impact vibrates an atom -- in
other words, the current heats the atoms up. A thinner
conductor heats up more easily than a thicker conductor
because it is more resistant to the movement of electrons.
Bound electrons in the vibrating atoms may be boosted
temporarily to a higher energy level. When they fall back
to their normal levels, the electrons release the extra
energy in the form of photons. Metal atoms release
mostly infrared light photons, which are invisible to the
human eye. But if they are heated to a high enough level -
- around 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit (2,200 degrees C) in
the case of a light bulb -- they will emit a good deal of
visible light.
 Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403
UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPIR Page 8

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

Halogen lamp
A halogen lamp also uses a tungsten filament, but it is
encased inside a much smaller quartz envelope.
Because the envelope is so close to the filament, it would
melt if it were made from glass.
The gas inside the envelope consists of a gas from the
halogen group. These gases have a very interesting
property: They combine with tungsten vapor. If the
temperature is high enough, the halogen gas will combine
with tungsten atoms as they evaporate and redeposit
them on the filament. This recycling process lets the
filament last a lot longer.
In addition, it is now possible to run the filament hotter,
meaning you get more light per unit of energy. You still
get a lot of heat, though; and because the quartz
envelope is so close to the filament, it is extremely hot
compared to a normal light bulb
 Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403
UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPIR Page 9

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

Fluorescent Lamp
 Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403
UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPIR Page 10

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

The tube is filled with mercury vapor at a low pressure

and sealed at both ends with a cathode and an anode.
Inside surface of the tube is coated with phosphorescent
metallic salts, such as zinc sulphate or zinc silicate.
Require an alternating current unlike the incandescent
lamp which will work with ac as well as dc.
Electrons are emitted from the incandescent cathode and
travel to the anode at the other end of the tube.
During their journey they will collide with the mercury
vapor atoms in the tube which cause radiation to be
emitted, which is mostly all in the invisible spectrum (ultra
violet).
The ultra violet radiation will strike the fluorescent coating
on the inside of the tube and cause it to emit a longer
wavelength radiation in the visible spectrum.
 Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403
UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPIR Page 11

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

Providing the current is already flowing, and the collisions

are taking place electrons will be moving from/to the
cathode/anode and as such the tube (once started)
provides a very low resistance.
Starting
When current is first switched on the glow lamp lights due to the
fact it is in parallel and the bimetallic contacts are at this moment
open. The bimetallic contacts now close and allow the full current
to the cathode which makes it incandescent.
The bimetallic strip now cools and breaks; this breaks the action
of the choke and causes a voltage spike that forces electrons to
be emitted from the hot cathode.
The cycle has begun and current flows in the main tube and no
current flows to the auxiliary lamp and so the bimetallic contacts
remain parted.
Fault diagnosis of a faulty tube is difficult. The resistance
cannot be measured, as when the tube is not working its
resistance is very high. Often, the only course of action is
to replace the tube, if that fails a voltage check etc will be
required
 Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403
UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPIR Page 12

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

Light Emitting Diode

(LED)
An electron releases
energy when it drops
from a higher orbital to a
lower one. This energy
is released in the form of
a photon. A greater
energy drop releases a
higher-energy photon,
which is characterized
by a higher frequency.
 Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403
UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPIR Page 13

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

Free electrons moving across a diode can fall into empty

holes from the P-type layer. This involves a drop from the
conduction band to a lower orbital, so the electrons release
energy in the form of photons. This happens in any diode,
but you can only see the photons when the diode is
composed of certain material. The atoms in a standard
silicon diode, for example, are arranged in such a way that
the electron drops a relatively short distance. As a result, the
photon's frequency is so low that it is invisible to the human
eye -- it is in the infrared portion of the light spectrum.
Visible light-emitting diodes (VLEDs), are made of materials
characterized by a wider gap between the conduction band
and the lower orbital. The size of the gap determines the
frequency of the photon -- in other words, it determines the
color of the light.
Gallium arsenic phosphate is a common semiconductor
used to provide an orange indication. This color can be
changed with the use of a filter or different material
construction.
 Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403
UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPIR Page 14

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

FLIGHT DECK LIGHTING

The requirements for aircraft lighting are laid down primarily
in the Air Navigation Order, and are further expanded in
JAR25.
Adequate lighting must be provided so the crew can see all
the controls and the instruments and the markings near to
them. Anytime the aircraft is or is likely to enter Instrument
Flight Rules (IFR) the instruments will require illumination.
This illumination will need to cover the possibility of
operations in dull daylight through dusk to complete
darkness. The captain and first officer may wish to alter
illumination levels. All this needs to be catered for.
The lighting has to be positioned so that it illuminates the
instruments or panels clearly but does not ‘glare’ back to
the flight crew.
 Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403
UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPIR Page 15

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

Flight deck lighting includes:

Floodlights - Used for general lighting of the area.
Integral Lighting - Lighting for all the instrument and circuit
breaker panels is controlled from the lighting panel.
Miscellaneous Lights - Map lights illuminate the pilot’s lap
area; chart lights illuminate the pilot’s letdown chart
holders and utility lights that are moveable for
miscellaneous use.
Override Light Switch - The override light switch can be
used as a means of turning on all of the instrument panel
floodlights from one switch.
Standby Lighting - With only standby power available
certain critical lighting circuits revert to standby power
sources to provide emergency lighting.
Master Dim and Test - The master dim and test provides
night annunciation light dimming and a convenient ‘one
switch’ test of all appropriate lamp annunciations.
 Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403
UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPIR Page 16

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

Integral Instrument Lights

Each instrument has its own lamp with the wires run to
the back connector of the instrument casing. A plug will
then connect to the lamp to the aircraft lighting system -
common switch - fuse/CB - dc bus bar.
The filament lamp is so positioned that it shines onto the
face of the instrument, yet doesn’t show as a glare.
A major drawback with this type of lighting is that a lamp
change requires the instrument to be removed and either
dismantled or replaced. This means additional functional
tests for the instrument system, and if the bulb failed
during a night flight, the instrument would be difficult to
read. It has limited use these days and any new aircraft
will not normally have this type fitted.
(Cathode Ray Tubes (CRTs) or Liquid Crystal Displays
(LCDs) require no additional illumination, though they do
have there own brilliance controls.)
 Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403
UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPIR Page 17

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

Pillar Lamps
An incandescent filament lamp is housed inside a small
pillar and provided with a power supply. The cap on the
pillar prevents the glare and the slot deflects the light
down onto the instrument or panel.
Often two pillar lamps will be fitted over the primary flight
instruments, thus providing a degree of redundancy.
Replacement of the bulb is simple enough with the cap
being held in place with a spring collar. Once this is
removed the sub-miniature bulb can be removed. The cap
alignment is crucial as this determines the light effect; the
cap is keyed to the pillar.
An improvement of the pillar lamp came when two were
located together on the :same housing. This made for
easier maintenance. Sometimes called a bridge lamp.
 Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403
UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPIR Page 18

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

TYPICAL PILLAR LIGHTS

 Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403
UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPIR Page 19

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

Trans-illuminated Panels (Lightplates)

This type of illumination is very common, particularly on
‘glass’ cockpit aircraft. It relies on the principle of reflection
and refraction of light between two polished surfaces.
As shown in the figure 6, a light source, directed into the end of
a glass sheet. This light will travel down the glass by reflection
off the polished sides. At any gaps (scratched or etched areas)
on the reflecting surface the light will be refracted out of the
plate and become visible.

Fig. 6 LIGHT REFLECTION PRINCIPLE

 Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403
UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPIR Page 20

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

Referring to figure 7 the incandescent lamp is

placed in the middle of the panel. The panel in
this case is Perspex (a transparent plastic),
with a coating on the outer side; this forms the
front of the panel. With the 5 Vac supply on,
the lamp will reflect light down the inside of the
Perspex which will be refracted out at any
coating discontinuity. These discontinuities
form the light pattern on the control panel.

Fig. 7 TYPICAL LIGHT PLATE

 Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403
UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPIR Page 21

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

There is a limit on the distance that a small incandescent

lamp can work to so such to provide good panel
illumination on larger panels a lamp has to be placed
every six to ten inches (15mm to 254mm). The lamps are
identical to the small filaments of the pillar lamps and are
similar to replace.
With increase in bulb life, it has become possible to insert
the lamps into the panel itself. There are more lamps
fitted than is actually necessary to provide the correct
level of luminescence and this allows for some failures. In
this case if there is a problem with the light plate, the
whole panel has to be replaced. Again with modem
aircraft this is not so demanding on maintenance due to
the BITE that most systems have, making such a
replacement possible in a matter of minutes
A further development on the theme is to replace the
incandescent bulbs with LED’s. LED’s as you know have
an almost infinite life and as such the problems of
illumination going wrong are largely eliminated.
 Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403
UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPIR Page 22

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

Gaseous Tritium Light Sources (Backlights)

Not very common, but you may come across them. Unlike
other lights on the flight deck there are no on/off switches,
these lights are on all the time.
They work on a principle of producing Beta radiation from
the tritium and fluorescing, this in a way not too dissimilar
to a fluorescent tube. They tend to be used in emergency
light packs and to show a route to a torch for example.
Also used on some avionics equipment.
They need care and attention when replacing. As a
general rule they are not dangerous providing that the
glass is intact, but if this should be broken clean up all
glass carefully ensuring that no dust is inhaled. Follow the
procedures laid down by your company and if you are cut
with the glass (the same as with fluorescent tubes) you
should seek medical attention. They are, as their name
implies, mildly radioactive.
 Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403
UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPIR Page 23

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

Floodlighting
Floodlighting is a general term used for the rest of the
lights in the flight deck; however these can also be used
to illuminate instrument panels. It is not uncommon for
strategically placed floodlights to be used to illuminate the
instrument panels. Sometimes lights placed in the ceiling
area are directed down to illuminate the centre console.
Figure 8 shows a typical floodlighting arrangement and
figure 9 shows a typical light controls layout.
All these lights are of the incandescent filament type,
although at least one manufacturer uses fluorescent
emergency ‘dome’ lights.
Sometimes the dome filament is a different lamp to the
rest as it has two concentric filaments, one for normal use
and the other for emergency lights.
 Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403
UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPIR Page 24

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

Fig. 8 TYPICAL FLIGHT DECK

 Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403
UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPIR Page 25

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

Fig. 9 TYPICAL FLIGHT DECK

LIGHTING CONTROLS
 Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403
UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPIR Page 26

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

Figure 10 shows some of the different types of

lamps and their respective holders. For control
reasons the flight deck is separated into sections
and a control is provided for each section.
All floodlights can be controlled independently or
collectively. The collective control is often
referred to as ‘storm lights’, and pressing this
button will put on all the flight deck floodlights at
full illumination.
It is a requirement of the ANO that the aircraft
carries on the flight deck 50% of the total number
of lamps used on the flight deck as spares. This
affords the crew the chance to replace any lamps
that might fail in flight.
 Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403
UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPIR Page 27

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

Fig. 10 TYPICAL
FLOODLIGHTS
 Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403
UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPIR Page 28

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

Utility (or Wander) Lamp

Most aircraft are required to
have, somewhere on the flight
deck, at least one utility light
(see figure 11). These are a
simple incandescent light
working off 28vdc, connected
with a coiled extension lead and
a control switch on the back.
Adjusting the focus is by
movement of the front ring.
Usually powered from the hot
battery bus (28v), which
effectively turns them into an
emergency lamp at the same
time. Sometimes referred to as
‘wander’ lamps Fig. 11 UTILITY LAMP
 Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403
UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPIR Page 29

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

Control of Flight Deck Lighting

This is usually done by altering the voltage to the lamps.
For a dc supply use is made of a variable resistor type of
dimmer control and for an ac circuit a variable transformer
is used.
Flight deck lighting control is more complex than it seems:
Each panel or instrument cluster or map or chart or
floodlight has its own individual control.
There is a master control that will brighten all the
instrument lights together.
Often an override switch is provided to allow full
illumination of all the instruments immediately
 Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403
UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPIR Page 30

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

To cope with these requirements there are several

dimmer controls located at various locations around the
flight deck figure 9 shows an example.
Figure 12 shows a circuit taking 28vac from the ac
transfer busses. Variable auto-transformers provide
adjustable brightness control. This output is further
reduced to 5 to 0 volts by additional transformers.
Figure 13 shows another example of a control circuit.
Note the 28vac supply from the ground service bus and
battery bus with dimmer for the first officer’s and
captain’s dome lights via the dimmer light switch, the
dome switch and the flood dome switch. Note the 28vdc
standby supply to both front domes.
 Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403
UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPIR Page 31

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

Fig. 12 BRIGHTNESS CONTROL - EXAMPLE

 Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403
UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPIR Page 32

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

Fig. 13 EXAMPLE - FLIGHT DECK DOME LIGHTING

 Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403
UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPIR Page 33

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

Flight Deck Lighting - Automatic Control

For some instruments (typically items like audio selector
panels and radio panels) the illumination is controlled
automatically. Instead of using a control voltage from the
dimmer switch an amplified signal from a photosensitive
cell is used.
The photo (light) sensitive cell is positioned in such a
place that as the ambient light increases so too does the
voltage from the cell, and this through the dimmer control
units increases the voltage and hence illumination of the
instruments. As with other flight deck lighting, this can be
overridden to full illumination by the selection of the
dimmer override button.
 Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403
UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPIR Page 34

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

PASSENGER CABIN & CARGO

LIGHTING
We have covered most of the area lighting system concepts
when dealing with flight deck lighting, and passenger area
lighting is virtually the same, though there is considerably
less control.
The lighting can be divided into:
Area lighting (day/night lights) — attendant controlled.
Spot lighting (reading lights) — passenger controlled.
Emergency lights — automatic/crew controlled.
Information lights — automatic/crew controlled
 Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403
UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPIR Page 35

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

Fig. 16 CABIN AREA LIGHTING - GENERAL LAYOUT

 Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403
UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPIR Page 36

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

Area Lighting
Figure 16 shows a general arrangement of a passenger
cabin lighting system.
The main stay of the system is the fluorescent
‘washlights’ and ceiling lights. These operate at one of
two levels, bright and dim. There are also incandescent
night lights, doorway entry lights and reading lights.
In the galley areas there are some work-lights (spot lights)
and area lights, these being a combination of fluorescent
tubes and incandescent lamps.
Control of the cabin lighting is from the area control
panels located at the attendant locations. This may be
through software related systems (on newer aircraft) but
equally through traditional rotary switches as found on
most old aircraft. The control range is often as follows:
High (sometimes called ‘Day’)
Medium
Low (often called ‘Night’)
 Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403
UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPIR Page 37

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

Fig. 17 AREA LIGHTING

CONTROL
 Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403
UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPIR Page 38

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

Control of the Fluorescent Tube

Figure 17 shows a switching system for the control of
side-wall lights, ceiling lights and night-lights.
The lights are controlled through a software package
inputted from an area select panel located in the
attendant’s area. Physical switching of the lights is
carried out through transistor action remotely.
The fluorescent tube consists of a tube and ballast, with a
power supply. The ballast is a transformer that steps the
voltage up to that required by the tube to operate.
Normally the ballast outputs 205vac to the tube for ‘dim’
lighting and adds an additional 115vac for ‘bright’
lighting. It is usually possible to bypass the switching
system and provide ‘full’ power lighting from the ground
service bus. This facility allows the aircraft to be cleaned
and serviced without the main system power having to be
on.
 Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403
UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPIR Page 39

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

Fig. 18 READING
LIGHTS
 Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403
UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPIR Page 40

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

Reading Lights
Most seats are provided with reading lamps. These are usually
fitted as a 2, 3 or 4 lamp module in the ceiling panels immediately
above each seat group. Some seats have individual stork
mounted (or swivel mounted within the side head- rests) reading
lamps attached directly to the seat, these are low voltage supplied
and are individually switched. Figure 18 shows examples of those
fitted above the passenger seats.
The lights are usually of the incandescent type. Operation of the
lights above the seats is initiated by pressing the light button on
the passenger control unit located in the seat arm-rest. This sends
an ON/OFF signal (typically through an ARINC 429 data bus
routed within the seat tracks in the floor) to an electronics unit.
This is usually situated at the front or back of the cabin and sends
a signal through the lines above the ceiling panels to the De-
coder/En-coder Units (DEUs) above each seat group. This signal
is decoded in each DEU and that switches on the appropriate
reading light for that seat.
 Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403
UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPIR Page 41

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

Reading lights come in many forms, and some of the

newer designs include fiber-optic and LED systems.
One point of note on this type of system, where the entire
cabin, or section of cabin, is controlled through a single
cabin configuration software unit, there can be
considerable trouble in the cabin if anything goes wrong.
That means that when the button, say at seat 13K is
pressed ON the light above 13K needs to come on. This
information has to be told to the computer controlled
system and this is done through a cabin configuration
database. If any thing goes wrong with this system
(software corruption etc) then lights may come on un-
commanded, may not be switch able OFF, may not work
at all etc.
 Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403
UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPIR Page 42

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

Testing
Individual lights can be
tested separately - this
applies to all the lights in
the cabin, but for
passenger reading lights
it is usual to connect
them to a BITE system -
saves a great deal of
time.
The BITE monitors the:
Electronic units.
Power supplies.
PSUs.
Lamps themselves Fig. 19 ENCODING/DECODING UNIT
 Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403
UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPIR Page 43

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

The Control and Display Unit (CDU)

on the flight deck is used to BITE test
the system when the aircraft is on the
ground. The CDU sends a signal to
the electronic control unit which
transmits a signal to each DEU. The
DEU puts the system to test mode
and puts power on to each lamp for a
short period of time (the lamp should
light for a moment). Normal switching
is un-available during this time.
Test data is stored in the BITE
memory of the electronic control unit
and is displayed on the screen of the
CDU. It will indicate if no fault is
found, and if a fault is found will give
the location of the unit that is not
operating. Fig. 20 CONTROL &
DISPLAY UNIT
 Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403
UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPIR Page 44

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

Fig. 22 SYSTEM CIRCUIT DIAGRAM

 Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403
UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPIR Page 45

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

Attendant Call / Lavatory Assistance Lights

The attendant call system provides a method for the passenger to get
the crew’s attention should they require assistance. This could be in
their seats or in the toilet cubical
The call button is located on each seat passenger control unit and in
each toilet module. Series of indicator lights show at the attendant
locations. Blue for seated passenger request, amber for toilet request
and the pink light shows when the attendant’s internal phone is
ringing. At the same time chime sounded in the speakers above the
attendant locations.
Operation:
Passenger presses the button in the lavatory (or seat)
Signal sent to respective overhead electronics unit and the zonal
management unit. These on the light above the toilet/appropriate
seat, the master lights at the attendant’s station and the chime
will be set off.
Reset can be done from the PSU or main terminal. When reset
button is pushed, it cancels all the demands and put off the lights.
 Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403
UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPIR Page 46

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

Fig. 23 TYPICAL
CARGO BAY
LIGHTING
 Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403
UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPIR Page 47

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

Cargo Lighting
Figure 23 shows the general arrangement for cargo bay
lighting. It will consist of either recessed incandescent
lights or the flush fitting fluorescent type.
The lighting for the cargo bay is controlled from one
switch located close to the freight door. Power usually
comes from ground handling ac bus that is not powered in
the air.
The lighting is usually made up of a large number of lights
in the ball transfer mat regions and the area where the
cargo comes into the aircraft. The area going down into
the aircraft hold tends to be less well lit. In addition a light
is provided that shines onto the pallet loading truck. This
light will either be positioned outside recessed into the
fuselage or on the inside of the cargo door (remember of
course the door is up during cargo loading).
 Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403
UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPIR Page 48

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Exterior lighting is in principle similar to the other
types of lighting on the aircraft. They include
navigation lights, runway take-off lights, logo lights,
taxi lights, wing illumination lights etc.
The Regulations
Certain requirements have to be met regarding navigation
lights. Essentially it stems from the same theory for all
when in possible dangerous situations, which is: see and
be seen.
The ANO and the associated JAR25 define what must be
fitted, how much light must be emitted, in what direction
and the color specification.
 Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403
UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPIR Page 49

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

The legal requirements as laid down in the ANO for

aircraft position lights are:
A steady green light of at least 5 candelas to the side (40
at dead ahead), showing to the starboard side through an
angle of 110 deg. from dead ahead in the horizontal
plane. Vertical plane intensities are also specified.
A steady red light of at least 5 candelas to the side (40 at
dead ahead), showing to the port side through an angle of
110 deg from dead ahead in the horizontal plane. Vertical
plane intensities are also specified.
A steady white light of at least 3 candelas showing
through angles of 70° from dead astern in the horizontal
plane either side of the longitudinal axis.
 Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403
UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPIR Page 50

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

A flashing red, anti-collision light of at least 20 candela

(400 in the horizontal plane), showing in all directions (on
aircraft built before April 1988, these were optional.
However, the lights mentioned above would be flashing
units, all flashing together).
A flashing white strobe light of at’ least 20 candela
showing in all directions. (Option at present, but most
large commercial transports use them). Flashing
frequencies to be between 40 and 100 Hz and either
aviation red or aviation white.
 Note. The candela (old name candle which is
fractionally smaller) (cd) is the SI unit of luminance and
is based on the light emitted from molten platinum as it
solidifies at 2042K. At this temperature 1cm2 will emit
60cd. (1 candela roughly equates to a quartz halogen
lamp of 20w supplied by 28vac).
 Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403
UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPIR Page 51

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

Fig. 24 EXTERNAL LIGHTS - B777

 Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403
UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPIR Page 52

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

Navigation (Position) Lights

The early requirement was for a steady green light and a
steady red light, red on the left, green on the right. They
are required to show through an angle of 110 deg from
straight ahead, figure 24 shows a general view of all the
exterior lights on the B777.
In addition to the wing tip lights the aircraft must show
white lights to the rear, these may be wing mounted or tail
mounted. They show through a horizontal angle of 140°,
that is 70° each side of dead astern. Figure 25 shows the
general arrangement for these position, or navigation
lights.
 Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403
UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPIR Page 53

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

Navigation lights are an essential system and control is

through a relay activated switch in the flight deck. Normal
power supply for such lights is 28vac from a protected
bus such as the essential or standby bus.
The lamps themselves will be a dual filament bulb to
provide redundancy, or alternatively you may find two
bulbs fitted in parallel with each other.
Another, less common way of providing the back-up
supply to the lights is to have a separate supply of 28vdc
from the battery; this is initiated by switching in the flight
deck from ON to ON BATT. Not very common these days,
but still around
 Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403
UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPIR Page 54

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

Fig. 25
NAVIGATION
LIGHTS — B777
 Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403
UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPIR Page 55

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

Fig. 26 EXTERNAL LIGHTS - EXAMPLE 1

 Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403
UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPIR Page 56

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

Fig. 27 EXTERNAL LIGHTS - EXAMPLE 2

 Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403
UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPIR Page 57

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

Anti-collision Lights
Must be mounted to show all around the aircraft a red
flashing light. Usually this means one light on the highest
fixed part and one on the lowest fixed part.
The lights must be on anytime that the aircraft is on the
airfield with engines running. In addition the commander
must be able to switch off these lights should the need
arise due to glare or flash-back.
 Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403
UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPIR Page 58

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

Figure 28 shows a flashing beacon with a lamp shining

onto a rotating reflector. The speed of rotation is about
40-45 rpm, thus giving a flash repetition of about 80-90
flashes per minute.
Power to the rotating beacon is controlled from the flight
deck through a relay in the power panel. Normal supply
would be 115vac and as with the navigation lights this
supply needs to be ‘protected’ in some way.
Notice from figure 26 that the reflector emits two distinct
light patterns. One half of the reflector is straight and
gives a narrow beam of very high intensity light; the other
is curved slightly to allow a wider less intense light
pattern.
 Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403
UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPIR Page 59

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

Fig. 28 ROTATING REFLECTOR ANTI-COLLISION LIGHT

 Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403
UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPIR Page 60

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

Fig. 29 ROTATING LAMP TYPE ANTI-COLLISION LIGHT

 Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403
UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPIR Page 61

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

Fig. 30 XENON FLASK TUBE PRINCIPLE

 Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403
UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPIR Page 62

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

Xenon Flash Tube

Another method of producing a flashing light is the xenon
tube gas discharge lamp.
The flash tube provides a very high intensity light for a very
short period of time. It achieves this by applying a high
voltage to two electrodes and then introducing a trigger
voltage (figure 30)
The ac supply transformed to a higher voltage, passes
through the rectifier and charges the main flash condenser
(capacitor). As the capacitor is charged a very large
voltage is now available at either end of the flash tube,
typically about 500v but nothing happens just yet. The
flash tube itself is filled with xenon gas at a low pressure.
 Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403
UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPIR Page 63

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

A smaller capacitor is charged from a voltage reduction

resistor pair. The synchronizing logic control circuit now
allows the ignition capacitor to discharge through a
transformer and into one of the electrodes. This induces a
massive voltage in the other electrode of about 10,000v.
This voltage is high enough to ionize the xenon gas and
cause current to flow. Basically, a streak of lightning has
just been generated, albeit for only about 1/1000th of a
second. The light is bright enough, however, to be visible
several miles away.
Usually, the flash tube is separated from the rest of the
components. The transformer unit is located close to the
light to supply the very high voltage necessary to light the
flash tube.
 Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403
UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPIR Page 64

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

Fig. 31 TYPICAL ANTI-

COLLISION LIGHTS
 Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403
UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPIR Page 65

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

Figure 31 shows a typical installation of such as

lamp. It contains a parabolic reflector with the
flash tube wrapped around the inside. Flash
tubes can be made to fit any shape or size.
There are two types of anti-collision light: Red
ones are required as per rotating beacons on the
top and bottom of the fuselage or tail.
Red strobe lights are often referred to as
beacons as that is the role they are assuming. In
addition white strobes are fitted on the wing tips
and tail to give all round indication. Control of the
‘beacons’ and the strobes is achieved via a
flight deck switch actuating a relay.
 Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403
UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPIR Page 66

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

Landing and Taxi Lights

As the aircraft approaches the ground it is desirable that
the flight crew can see ahead. The aircraft is provided
with high intensity forward pointing lights to illuminate the
landing area. The location of these lights is one of design
choice, but they will always have a beam deflection of
between 11deg and 15 deg.
Landing lights may be fitted on the undercarriage, on the
wing inboard end or sometimes they are of the retractable
type. Figure 32 shows an example of those fitted to the
landing gear and figure 33 shows a retractable type.
In the case of the retractable type the retraction
mechanism is usually integral with the ON OFF switch. It
is often also controlled by the undercarriage mechanism,
in that when the undercarriage is selected down the lights
will come down — when selected up the lights will retract
and go off. Figure 33 shows a typical retractable
installation with its associated control circuits.
 Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403
UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPIR Page 67

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

Fig. 32 TYPICAL
LANDING &
TAXI LIGHTS
 Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403
UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPIR Page 68

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

Fig. 33
RETRACTABLE
LANDING LIGHT
CIRCUIT
 Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403
UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPIR Page 69

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

Note the use of limit switches to control the range of

movement of the lamp, the two field windings (one up, one
down) and the control of the light itself.
Maintenance practices of these lights include checking that
the alignment is correct, and that the lens is clean. Care
needs to be exercised in the use of these lamps in that they
can temporally blind and also they get very hot so, to prevent
damage and cracking of the lens, the duty cycle must not be
overrun in still air.
A taxi lamp (sometimes termed a runway turn-off light)
provides the crew with a reduced intensity light that
highlights the edges of the taxiway and any runway turn off
points. Usually a halogen type of lamp, like the landing
lights, but of a reduced wattage. Common locations are at
the nose leg or the wing leading edge root.
The beam of light subtends an angle of 50 deg in the
horizontal plane.
 Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403
UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPIR Page 70

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

Other External Lights

There are other external lights for a number of reasons,
some cosmetic some for flight reasons.
 Wing illumination (ANO schedule 4). To shine down
the leading edge of the wings for two reasons.
• In flight they can be used to help identify ice
formation on the wing, as a back-up to any
automatic ice detection system.
• On the ground they provide illumination of the wing
helping to avoid hitting the wing with ground service
vehicles etc.
 Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403
UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPIR Page 71

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

 Logo lights. Installed in the upper surface of the

horizontal tail surface and are designed to shine onto
the tail logo. Purely a commercial thing that allows the
airlines to essentially advertise as they taxi around
airports.
Caution.
When working on lights and lighting circuits it is important
to isolate the power supplies and tag the system to
prevent power being re-applied. Lights can also get very
hot when on (and just after switch-off) and present a burn
hazard. With certain lighting systems - xenon tubes for
example - high voltages can be stored within the power
circuit so must be left for a period of time after switch-off
before any work is carried out. The ‘wait’ times are
stated in the AMM.
 Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403
UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPIR Page 72

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

EMERGENCY LIGHTS
Purpose:
To provide illumination in an emergency - if the normal
lighting should fail or if electrical power fails — during
emergency evacuation of the aircraft etc.
Emergency lighting is provided on escape slides, at exits and
escape hatches, and along escape routes within the aircraft.
Escape hatches, doors etc must have minimum self
illuminating values (microlamberts — a unit specifying
reflectiveness) or be illuminated by emergency lighting. For
aircraft seating 10 or more passengers the emergency exit
signs size and color is specified and they must be internally
illuminated with a minimum value. This is all laid down in
JAR25.
Figure 34 shows an example of the emergency lighting on an
aircraft before the days when floor path lighting was
mandatory
 Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403
UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPIR Page 73

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

Fig. 34 EMERGENCY
LIGHTING - GENERAL
 Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403
UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPIR Page 74

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

Floor Proximity Lighting

As you may know, smoke rises and tends to fill spaces
from the roof down. Crawling out of a smoke filled aircraft
gives the best chance of survival and floor proximity
lighting is designed to indicate the way out. Figure 35
shows a seat mounted light and figure 36 shows a floor
mounted system.
Seat mounted lights offer the advantage of being less
susceptible to damage, but it does mean more cables
running together with the IFE equipment and possible
associated interference problems.
The purpose of the lights, regardless of where they are
fitted is to enable a crawling person to find a way out of
the aircraft. They are essential for flight
 Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403
UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPIR Page 75

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

Fig. 35 SEAT MOUNTED FLOOR PATH LIGHTING

 Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403
UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPIR Page 76

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

Fig. 36 FLOOR MOUNTED

ESCAPE PATH LIGHTING
 Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403
UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPIR Page 77

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

Emergency Exit Signs

Figure 37 shows a typical example. These are situated
within the cabin at locations to comply with JAR25 and
meet the requirements of size, colour and minimum
internal illumination.
Note from figure 34 that the sign has the words EXIT
written in red and an arrow pointing in the direction of the
door. The cover panel is quickly removed to give access
to the two incandescent bulbs that run off a 28vdc supply
system that includes battery packs and charging circuits.
On some, particularly older aircraft, these battery packs
were of the throw away type. Care needs to be taken to
ensure that these packs are not inadvertently discharged.
The lights are sometimes paired with a single battery
pack and this poses a problem during maintenance. A
paired light sometimes sees the missing lamp as a power
failure and switches on the emergency lights
 Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403
UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPIR Page 78

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

Fig. 37
TYPICAL
EMERGENCY
EXIT SIGN
 Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403
UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPIR Page 79

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

Slide and Door Illumination

Sometimes mounted in the side of the fuselage, but also
possibly in the passenger door, the 28vdc lamp will
illuminate the deployed slide and some of the surrounding
area. Lights are also placed to shine on the overwing exit
areas.
Lights on either side of the slide illuminate automatically
on slide deployment
 Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403
UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPIR Page 80

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

Fig. 38 SLIDE AREA

ILLUMINATION
 Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403
UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPIR Page 81

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

Lighting Control
Control of the emergency lighting is effected from the
flight deck by a 3 position switch - see the example in
figure 39.
With the switch in the OFF position all the power is
removed from the lighting systems, through relay action in
the essential bus breaker box. The emergency lights are
not illuminated at all. This is the position that the switch
needs to be in before power is removed from the aircraft.
With the switch in this position an advisory message is
displayed in front of the crew.
With the switch in the ON position the lights are all lit from
the aircraft power supplies that are available. Usually this
is from the hot battery bus (the bus that is always live
whenever the battery is connected) or from the dedicated
battery power packs if this is not available.
 Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403
UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPIR Page 82

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

Fig. 39 LIGHTING
CONTROL LOCATION
 Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403
UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPIR Page 83

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

Fig. 40 POWER
SUPPLY &
CONTROL
 Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403
UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPIR Page 84

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

To select the switch either on the flight deck or the

attendant’s panel, the guard must be de-seated. The
middle position and the one that the switch assumes
when the guard is closed is AUTOMATIC or ARMED.
This is the ‘flight’ position and where the crew place the
switch before take-off.
In this position the lights are under the control of relays in
the essential breaker box. Providing aircraft power is
available and on, the lights are off. Should aircraft power
fail (or be switched off) the emergency lights all come on
automatically. This will drain the aircraft battery power
packs within about 10 minutes
The battery packs are on charge when the switch is set to
ARMED or OFF with the rest of the electrical power
supplies available.
 Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403
UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPIR Page 85

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

In addition to the flight deck control an additional control is

provided in the cabin area, usually at the main
attendant’s location. This switch will allow the lights to be
switched on independent of the switch position of the
flight deck switch.
A test switch may also be provided, this is a very handy
as it will put the emergency lights on for about two
minutes. This is long enough for you to get around and
check them, but not long enough to discharge the battery
power packs. There may also be a similar test switch for
the exterior lights and it works in the same manner. Most
modern aircraft have BITE systems.
Figure 40 shows a simplified circuit diagram for the power
supplies for the exit signs, overwing lights, escape slide
lights, aisle lights, and door lights. It also shows the
battery power supply packs (4). Note the switching and dc
power supplies.
 Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403
UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPIR Page 86

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

Figures 41, 42, 43 and 44 show the power supplies and

emergency illumination for the Airbus A330. The
philosophy is similar for any modem passenger aircraft so
you need to know the general operation.
The electrical system is controlled and monitored by the
Emergency Power Supply Units (EPSUs) — a total of 8
installed in the ceiling at intervals along the cabin length.
These are supplied with dc and ac. With failure of the dc
essential power the EPSUs will continue to supply the
system for a period of time from their internal batteries.
The floor path lighting Electro Luminescent (EL) (figure
42) flexible light strips are installed along the aisles in the
carpets and also on the non-textile floor coverings of the
galleys and cross aisle areas.
 Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403
UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPIR Page 87

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

Fig. 41 A330 EMERGENCY

LIGHTING SYSTEM -
OVERVIEW
 Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403
UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPIR Page 88

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

Fig. 42 LAMP POWER

SUPPLIES
 Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403
UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPIR Page 89

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

Fig. 43 A330 EMERGENCY

POWER SUPPLY UNITS
 Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403
UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPIR Page 90

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

Photoluminescent strips are used on some floor aisle

areas for emergency path lighting (figure 44). These
absorb light energy from the normal cabin lighting, or from
daylight, and will emit this back out as light when in the
dark - ie when there is no daylight and other forms of
lighting are OFF. These strips will give out light for about
8 hours.
Fig. 44 PHOTOLUMINESCENT
LIGHT STRIPS
 Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403
UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPIR Page 91

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

Testing
The BITE test will test the system and the capacity of the
batteries. The system test, which has a limit of 20
seconds to prevent battery pack discharge, includes:
Testing the dc and ac supplies.
Checking for short circuits on each output.
Checking the voltage output of the battery packs.
Testing the battery heating devices.
Checking the EPSU logic and switching circuits.
Checking system loads.
The battery capacity BITE test checks that each EPSU
battery has sufficient capacity to run its emergency lights
for at least 10 minutes and does not have a drop of more
than 0.40 AH between two consecutive tests. The test will
take up to 3 hours to complete.
 Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403
UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPIR Page 92

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

Wassalam