Welcome Guest. Sign in or Signup

1 Answers

REIL Lights and Instrument Approaches

Asked by: 8180 views ,
Airspace

What's the effect of a runway's having or not having REILs on minimums for instrument approaches to that runway?  I'm specifically interested in whether REILs are required in order for an LPV approach to be designed to the lowest possible minimums -- in other words, does the absence of REILs constrain the LPV approach to higher minimums?  Do the minimums increase if the REILs are out of service?

Ace Any FAA Written Test!
Actual FAA Questions / Free Lifetime Updates
The best explanations in the business
Fast, efficient study.
Pass Your Checkride With Confidence!
FAA Practical Test prep that reflects actual checkrides.
Any checkride: Airplane, Helicopter, Glider, etc.
Written and maintained by actual pilot examiners and master CFIs.
The World's Most Trusted eLogbook
Be Organized, Current, Professional, and Safe.
Highly customizable - for student pilots through pros.
Free Transition Service for users of other eLogs.
Our sincere thanks to pilots such as yourself who support AskACFI while helping themselves by using the awesome PC, Mac, iPhone/iPad, and Android aviation apps of our sponsors.

1 Answers



  1. John D. Collins on Dec 01, 2011

    REILs don’t affect the LPV minimums, however an approach lighting system does, such as ALSF-1, ALSF-2, SSALR, MALSR, MALSF, MALS, SSALF, SSALS, SALS/SALSF, or ODALS. To obtain the lowest LPV minimums, the runway must be at least 4200 feet long, it must have an approved approach lighting system, there must be a parallel taxiway, the markings on the runway must be precision markings, and the visual segment of the approach must be clear on a 34 to 1 slope. An example of the lowest possible minimums is the RNAV RWY 2 LPV at my airport at Rock Hill, SC (KUZA), where the minimums are a DH of 200 and a visibility of 1/2 mile. The runway is 5500 feet long, has a parallel taxiway, precision markings, a MALSR approach light system, and is clear on the 34 to 1 slope.  If the MALSR approach lights are out, the visibility penalty is 1/4 mile, or a total of 3/4 mile. A nearby airport, Lancaster, SC (KLKR) RNAV RWY 6 has a LPV. The runway is 6000 feet long, is clear on the 34 to 1 slope, has a parallel taxiway, but does not have precision markings or any approach light system. The minimums are a DH of 200 feet and visibility of 3/4 mile.  So in this case, the lack of the approach light system and the non precision runway markings provide the same minimums as if the approach light system were present, but out of service.

    0 Votes Thumb up 0 Votes Thumb down 0 Votes


The following terms have been auto-detected the question above and any answers or discussion provided. Click on a term to see its definition from the Dauntless Aviation JargonBuster Glossary.

Answer Question

Our sincere thanks to all who contribute constructively to this forum in answering flight training questions. If you are a flight instructor or represent a flight school / FBO offering flight instruction, you are welcome to include links to your site and related contact information as it pertains to offering local flight instruction in a specific geographic area. Additionally, direct links to FAA and related official government sources of information are welcome. However we thank you for your understanding that links to other sites or text that may be construed as explicit or implicit advertising of other business, sites, or goods/services are not permitted even if such links nominally are relevant to the question asked.