Lights of Visual Aids for Navigation

Abstract

While look down on an airport in the sky at night, we see a number of lights glittering, as if jewels were scattered. The lights in an airport play indispensable role for navigation safety.
In this paper, an outline of lights of visual aids for air navigation (hereinafter reffered to as AGL; Aeronautical Ground Lights) is introduced by the following composition. At first, many sorts of lights used as AGL and their classification are shown. Secondly, the significance of AGL, even in the condition of progress of the technology of electronic aids for air navigation, is explained. Thirdly, the property peculiar to AGL, which is different from that of lights for other transport facilities, and the required performance derived from that property are explained. Finally, the future state of AGL and some examples of studies in recent years related to visualization are introduced.