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Chapter 17 - IFR Pilot Potpourri 17-9

Runway End Identifier Lights

A REIL Strobe Light Fig. 14

Fig. 15
The Airport Remarks section indicates that you must activate all lighting. Then, after
waiting two minutes, you can adjust the lighting intensity with additional mic clicks.
At some airports there are two small
stroboscopic lights (Figure 15) near the
runway’s threshold. These are not disco
balls, they’re REIL or Runway End
Identifier Lights (Figure 16). REIL is pro-
nounced like the word real. Now you know
why pilots are sometimes confused if some-
one tells them to “get real.” REIL lights
provide for the rapid and positive identifica-
tion of a runway that’s surrounded by other
lighting and lacks contrast with the sur-
rounding terrain (Figure 16).
REILs also help identify a runway in Fig. 16
reduced visibility conditions. The AF/D
excerpt (Figure 14) says that the PAPI lights
are under the control of the pilot on the CTAF. Notice that El Monte also has a REILS and a PAPI or Precision
Approach Path Indicator that are wired into the pilot controlled lighting system (Figure 12B).

Pilot Controlled Lighting Systems
All lighting systems that are radio con-
trolled at an airport, whether on a single
runway or multiple runways, operate on
the same radio frequency.
On runways having both approach
lighting and runway lighting (runway
edge lights, taxiway lights, etc.) systems,
the approach lighting system takes
precedence for air-to-ground radio con-
trol over the runway lighting system
which is set at a predetermined intensity
step, based on expected visibility condi-
tions.
Runways without approach lighting
may provide radio controlled intensity
adjustments of runway edge lights.
Other lighting systems, including VASI,
REIL, and taxiway lights may be either
controlled with the runway edge lights or
controlled independently of the runway
edge lights. Your d-CS will tell you.