UFC 3-535-01
17 November 2005
CHAPTER 10: MISCELLANEOUS LIGHTED VISUAL AIDS
10-1
AIRPORT BEACONS
10-1.1
Purpose
Airport beacons are high-intensity flashing lights which provide a visual signal to pilots to
assist in locating and identifying the airfield or a hazardous obstruction at night, or in
restricted visibility conditions. These beacons may be rotating or fixed, but must provide
the signal through 360 degrees of azimuth. These requirements are to be used for new
installations of airport beacons. Existing installations may continue to be used and
maintained until the first airfield lighting upgrade project.
10-1.2
Beacon Types
10-1.2.1
Airfield Rotating Beacon
Each lighted airfield, except where one rotating beacon serves more than one airfield in
close proximity, must use a high-intensity military type beacon. This beacon must have
a double-peaked white beam to denote a military airfield and a single-peaked green
beam to indicate that the airfield has lighted facilities for operations at night or in
restricted visibility. The two beams must be directed 180 degrees apart. The signal from
the beacon must be visible through 360 degrees of azimuth by rotating at six revolutions
per minute (RPM). The airfield rotating beacon must be operated during twilight and
night hours and during daytime when Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) are in effect.
Alternating white and green flashes identify a lighted civil airport, and white flashes
identify an unlighted civil airport.
10-1.2.2
Identification or Code Beacon
For Air Force only, the identification beacon is used only at airfields where the airfield
rotating beacon is located more than 1800 meters (6,000 feet) from the nearest runway
or where the airfield rotating beacon serves more than one airfield. The identification
beacon is a non-rotating flashing omni-directional light visible through 360 degrees. This
beacon flashes a green coded signal at approximately 40 flashes per minute. The signal
is an assigned code of characters to identify the particular airfield. The identification
beacon must be operated whenever the associated airfield rotating beacon is operated.
10-1.3
Location Requirements
The standard location for the airfield rotating beacon or the identification beacon must
be:
10-1.3.1
Visible through 360 degrees of azimuth if possible.
10-1.3.2
Not less than 300 meters (1,000 feet) from the centerline or centerline
extended of the nearest runway.
10-1.3.3
Not in the line of sight from the control tower to the approach zone of any
runway or to within 22 meters (75 feet) vertically over any runway.
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