Radio and communications tower lighting

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Posted by Easily Amused
September 26, 2024 7:36 am
#1

I have twice asked the Canadian governmental agency this question.  Ten years ago I was referred to pages of documents that were difficult to interpret, more recently I never received a reply.  Perhaps someone here has the answer.

Out in the hamlet of Bethel in Port Colborne there is a communication tower.  The aircraft warning beacon on the top flashes a white-white-red sequence.  It is the only tower in this area of the Niagara Peninsula that displays this pattern.  Any other towers seem to be equipped with either a red or white beacon.

I first noticed the white-white-red sequence when flying out west for work in Saskatchewan back in 2014-15.  Vey easy to spot from a plane at night.  I have never noticed this lighting arrangement on towers in the U.S., but I haven't been over there for a couple of years.

Is this pattern a visual aid for pilots, or does the sequence of lights have a different meaning?

Thank you for any insight the group might share.

 
Posted by Saul
September 26, 2024 8:37 am
#2

Easily Amused wrote:

I have twice asked the Canadian governmental agency this question. Ten years ago I was referred to pages of documents that were difficult to interpret, more recently I never received a reply. Perhaps someone here has the answer.

Out in the hamlet of Bethel in Port Colborne there is a communication tower. The aircraft warning beacon on the top flashes a white-white-red sequence. It is the only tower in this area of the Niagara Peninsula that displays this pattern. Any other towers seem to be equipped with either a red or white beacon.

I first noticed the white-white-red sequence when flying out west for work in Saskatchewan back in 2014-15. Vey easy to spot from a plane at night. I have never noticed this lighting arrangement on towers in the U.S., but I haven't been over there for a couple of years.

Is this pattern a visual aid for pilots, or does the sequence of lights have a different meaning?

Thank you for any insight the group might share.

I can tell you, but then I'll have to kill you.
 

 
Posted by yyzradioveteran
September 26, 2024 11:15 am
#3

It has to do with the height of the tower. Pilots don't use the patterns for anything other than to know there is a tower so it's sort of useless to "code" the colours and patterns. Towers are NOTAMed and also on charts. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aviation_obstruction_lighting

 


 
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