Aircraft warning lights are high intensity lighting devices that are attached to tall structures and used as collision avoidance measures. Such devices make the structure much more visible to passing aircraft and are usually used at night, although in some countries they are used in the daytime also. These lights need to be of sufficient brightness in order to be visible for miles around the structure.

Lamp types

The lights generally come in two forms:

• Red lamps that are either constantly illuminated or turn on and off slowly in a cycle of a few seconds
• White xenon discharge flashers

Both types were in use in the United Kingdom until recently, however new regulations stipulate the use of red lamps at night-time only. Xenon flashers are therefore gradually being phased out. Xenon flash lamp being fired. ...

In the United States and Canada it is common to find structures with xenon flashers during the daytime, and red lamps at night.

Traditionally, red lamps use incandescent filament bulbs. In order to improve the otherwise quite short lifespan, they are made with a ruggedised design and are run below normal operating power (under-running). A recent development has been the use of arrays of high power red LEDs in place of incandescent bulbs, which has only been possible since to the development of LEDs of sufficent brightness. LED based lamps have a significantly longer lifespan than incandescent bulbs, thus reducing maintenance costs and increasing reliability. Image:Light-bulb-and-filament. ... Various light-emitting diodes (5 mm reds, 3 mm greens and yellows) A light-emitting diode (LED) is a semiconductor device that emits incoherent monochromatic light when electrically biased in the forward direction. ...

Xenon flashers, whilst more visually impressive, tend to require frequent replacement and so have become a less favoured option.

Use and positioning

These lights can generally be found attached to any tall structure such as broadcast masts and towers, chimneys, tall buildings, cranes and wind turbines. Shorter structures that are located close to airports may also require lighting. Masts of the Rugby VLF transmitter in England Radio masts and towers are, typically, tall structures designed to support antennas (also known as aerials in the UK) for telecommunications and broadcasting, including television. ... A chimney is a system for venting hot gases and smoke from a boiler, stove, furnace or fireplace to the outside atmosphere. ... Taipei 101, the worlds tallest building since its completion in 2004, is located in Taipei. ... A tower crane with a pivoted main boom Cranes on the Sheksna River, Cherepovets, Russia A worker telecommanding a crane from the ground A crane is a tower or derrick equipped with cables and pulleys that is used to lift and lower materials. ... Wind turbine in Luxembourg Horizontal axis wind turbine, the Enercon model E-66 wind energy converter, in Germany. ...

Lights are usually arranged in clusters around the structure at specific heights above the ground. Frequently there will be a set at the top, and then one or more sets equally spaced down the structure. England's Belmont mast (the tallest construction in the European Union) has nine clusters of red lamps spaced equally up and down the mast. Motto: (French for God and my right) Anthem: Multiple unofficial anthems Capital London Largest city London Official language(s) English (de facto) Government Constitutional monarchy  - Queen Queen Elizabeth II  - Prime Minister Tony Blair MP Unification    - by Athelstan AD 927  Area    - Total 130,395 km² (1st in UK)   50,346 sq... The Belmont transmitting station is a broadcasting and telecommunications facility, situated close to the village of Donington on Bain, near Market Rasen and Louth in Lincolnshire, England (grid reference TF217837). ...

External links

• The Transmission Gallery: Close up of LED warning lamp array on the Membury mast
• The Transmission Gallery: Belmont mast - includes night shot showing the nine sets of warning lamps