Post by Tom/CalClassic on Mar 17, 2020 1:38:49 GMT -5
Hi all,
I have been working with Don Grovestine (stuff4fs.com, probably best known for AI Flight Planner (AFLT)), on an improved version of Airfield Lights Toolbox (AFLT). AFLT creates custom lighting at an AFCAD or ADE modified airport, which includes both light effects and 3D lights you can see during the day. AFLT does most of the work by reading your AFCAD/ADE file and placing the same or similar AFLT lights automatically. Yes, some tweaking is needed to finish up.
But there is another thing it can do. At my request, he has graciously included templates for many of the common approach light layouts of the classic era. Thus, for the first time these classic light layouts can be placed into flight sim!
The versions that Don has created were taken from one of my 1963 Jeppesen approach chart manual, and from examining photos at the Historic Aerials site. Many of the other classic era layouts can be created by modifying one of these standard templates.
The manual for the current version of AFLT (4.3.09) presents details of the approach light dialog box and how to access these classic approaches, so I won't go into that. But here is the image from a page from my 1963 Jeppesen:
First of all let me say that these drawings may not be exactly accurate at a given airport - these approach layouts varied widely. In fact I have not seen some of the exact layouts displayed here, but they do illustrate the general classes of classic era layouts.
The first approach in this image is generally called the National Standard approach. It became the CAA standard for all new approaches sometime in the 1950s. By 1959 about 80% of all approach lights in the USA at airports with precision approaches were National Standard approaches or a close variation of the same. It is one of the stock approach layouts available in the Classic Systems section of the approach light dialog box. In FS the preset choice in AFLT looks like this, but there are many options to the types (strobes, etc.), spacing, size, and number of lights in most parts of all of these layouts. You'll also notice I used a wide variety of green threshold lights in these photos, just to show some of the possibilities.
The next approach I call the Three and One approach (listed as the "N" and One approach in AFLT since three lights is only the most common variation). It was quite common at US Air Force bases on major runways, especially when the runway had an overrun area (the area with chevron markings in FS). The overrun area would be surrounded by the Three and One lights, while the centerline approach lights would continue past the overrun. Also see the AF Overrun approach below. This approach was present only at less than 1% of US civil IFR airports by 1959, but could be found at Boston Logan, for example. Available as a preset choice in AFLT.
The next approach I call the Funnel or the Ladder approach, for obvious reasons. It is one of the only approaches that does not use parallel rows of lights leading to the runway. This approach was quite rare by 1959 (only one civil IFR airport), but was much more common in the 40s and early 50s. Available as a preset choice in AFLT is the example used at KLAX in 1953 (runway 25L):
You can modify this approach to one closer to the one in the diagram:
Or to the simpler version often used in Canada:
The next approach is the simple Centerline approach, this version of which can be created by modifying the National Standard Approach. It is one of the many variations of that standard approach, but is rather rare:
Or you can use the preset Center Line approach for the simpler version often used in Canada, with varying number of lights:
The Center Line with Crossbars is not directly available in AFLT, but I have not seen it used in real life at this point. You can place custom strings of lights across a National Standard approach to create a close facsimile of this approach.
The next approach was one of the most surprising approach light patterns to me - there are no lights on the centerline, only along the left edge of the runway. Since they are not on the centerline, they are red instead of white. This approach was used at about 5% of civil IFR airports in 1959, and that includes KLAX (Runway 25R). Available as a preset in AFLT, although you need to specify the location of the three "extra" bars in the string.
Canada had their own simpler version which was not uncommon:
The next approach is called the Two Parallel Rows or the Both Edges approach. This is usually quite a simple approach. The one I picture below is placed on a displaced threshold, which illustrates another difference from modern approach lights - since there were virtually no surface lighting at the time, the green threshold lights were placed on the sides of the runway, with nothing at the very end of the runway.
The Calvert approach is one of the few approaches that has continued from the classic era right to the modern day. Thus this approach is listed among the modern approaches in AFLT. These were not typically used in the USA, but quite common in other countries. I modified the Calvert2 approach to more closely match the diagram above.
The Neon Ladder approach was typically used early in the classic era, but rare by the late 50s. It is easily created by modifying the Left Edge approach, using Amber lights.
The AF Overrun approach is just the Three and One approach without the centerline lights, commonly used at US Air Force bases on less important runways. Easily created by modifying the "N" and One approach in AFLT:
I am contemplating adding these lights (along with taxi and runway lights) to some classic airports I have created, but am still formulating the best way to do that. I will also have some questions for you in how you might want these lights set up. But I wanted to let you know that these lights are now available in case you may want to add your own sooner than that. I would be happy to give you any advice I can on using and modifying these lights.
Enjoy,
I have been working with Don Grovestine (stuff4fs.com, probably best known for AI Flight Planner (AFLT)), on an improved version of Airfield Lights Toolbox (AFLT). AFLT creates custom lighting at an AFCAD or ADE modified airport, which includes both light effects and 3D lights you can see during the day. AFLT does most of the work by reading your AFCAD/ADE file and placing the same or similar AFLT lights automatically. Yes, some tweaking is needed to finish up.
But there is another thing it can do. At my request, he has graciously included templates for many of the common approach light layouts of the classic era. Thus, for the first time these classic light layouts can be placed into flight sim!
The versions that Don has created were taken from one of my 1963 Jeppesen approach chart manual, and from examining photos at the Historic Aerials site. Many of the other classic era layouts can be created by modifying one of these standard templates.
The manual for the current version of AFLT (4.3.09) presents details of the approach light dialog box and how to access these classic approaches, so I won't go into that. But here is the image from a page from my 1963 Jeppesen:
First of all let me say that these drawings may not be exactly accurate at a given airport - these approach layouts varied widely. In fact I have not seen some of the exact layouts displayed here, but they do illustrate the general classes of classic era layouts.
The first approach in this image is generally called the National Standard approach. It became the CAA standard for all new approaches sometime in the 1950s. By 1959 about 80% of all approach lights in the USA at airports with precision approaches were National Standard approaches or a close variation of the same. It is one of the stock approach layouts available in the Classic Systems section of the approach light dialog box. In FS the preset choice in AFLT looks like this, but there are many options to the types (strobes, etc.), spacing, size, and number of lights in most parts of all of these layouts. You'll also notice I used a wide variety of green threshold lights in these photos, just to show some of the possibilities.
The next approach I call the Three and One approach (listed as the "N" and One approach in AFLT since three lights is only the most common variation). It was quite common at US Air Force bases on major runways, especially when the runway had an overrun area (the area with chevron markings in FS). The overrun area would be surrounded by the Three and One lights, while the centerline approach lights would continue past the overrun. Also see the AF Overrun approach below. This approach was present only at less than 1% of US civil IFR airports by 1959, but could be found at Boston Logan, for example. Available as a preset choice in AFLT.
The next approach I call the Funnel or the Ladder approach, for obvious reasons. It is one of the only approaches that does not use parallel rows of lights leading to the runway. This approach was quite rare by 1959 (only one civil IFR airport), but was much more common in the 40s and early 50s. Available as a preset choice in AFLT is the example used at KLAX in 1953 (runway 25L):
You can modify this approach to one closer to the one in the diagram:
Or to the simpler version often used in Canada:
The next approach is the simple Centerline approach, this version of which can be created by modifying the National Standard Approach. It is one of the many variations of that standard approach, but is rather rare:
Or you can use the preset Center Line approach for the simpler version often used in Canada, with varying number of lights:
The Center Line with Crossbars is not directly available in AFLT, but I have not seen it used in real life at this point. You can place custom strings of lights across a National Standard approach to create a close facsimile of this approach.
The next approach was one of the most surprising approach light patterns to me - there are no lights on the centerline, only along the left edge of the runway. Since they are not on the centerline, they are red instead of white. This approach was used at about 5% of civil IFR airports in 1959, and that includes KLAX (Runway 25R). Available as a preset in AFLT, although you need to specify the location of the three "extra" bars in the string.
Canada had their own simpler version which was not uncommon:
The next approach is called the Two Parallel Rows or the Both Edges approach. This is usually quite a simple approach. The one I picture below is placed on a displaced threshold, which illustrates another difference from modern approach lights - since there were virtually no surface lighting at the time, the green threshold lights were placed on the sides of the runway, with nothing at the very end of the runway.
The Calvert approach is one of the few approaches that has continued from the classic era right to the modern day. Thus this approach is listed among the modern approaches in AFLT. These were not typically used in the USA, but quite common in other countries. I modified the Calvert2 approach to more closely match the diagram above.
The Neon Ladder approach was typically used early in the classic era, but rare by the late 50s. It is easily created by modifying the Left Edge approach, using Amber lights.
The AF Overrun approach is just the Three and One approach without the centerline lights, commonly used at US Air Force bases on less important runways. Easily created by modifying the "N" and One approach in AFLT:
I am contemplating adding these lights (along with taxi and runway lights) to some classic airports I have created, but am still formulating the best way to do that. I will also have some questions for you in how you might want these lights set up. But I wanted to let you know that these lights are now available in case you may want to add your own sooner than that. I would be happy to give you any advice I can on using and modifying these lights.
Enjoy,
