Hey guys,

I currently have regular whelen position lights, and a new LED rotating beacon. I'm considering replacing the position lights with LED, and potentially strobes as well. I realize there isn't a regulatory requirement for this, but it's a "feel good" mod for those busy traffic patterns.

With that intent in mind, should I get light/strobes in all three positions, or will just wing tip strobes give me the best result?

The more lights you have winking and blinking, the better. Let your credit card balance be your guide.

From the Whelen section in the Spruce catalog:

My view is light up every way possible. The more, the merrier! I have wing tip strobes, my tail beacon is a strobe, and within 10-12 miles of any airport, I have my Pulselites flashing.

Cary

CParker wrote:Hey guys,

I currently have regular whelen position lights, and a new LED rotating beacon. I'm considering replacing the position lights with LED, and potentially strobes as well. I realize there isn't a regulatory requirement for this, but it's a "feel good" mod for those busy traffic patterns.

With that intent in mind, should I get light/strobes in all three positions, or will just wing tip strobes give me the best result?

Unless your flush full of money and absolutely have to outfit your plane with the latest and greatest, I will say just leave the stock configuration alone and at the very most place some Aero-Lite LED builbs in the wingtip NAV lights and roll with the stock strobe and beacon. LED landing light is about the best improvement you can get. Anything else is wasted money in my honest opinion.

Here is a short walk around at night of my Stock Cessna 150L, with LED landing light, and whelen strobes. no mistaking this anywhere.

lownslow79 wrote:

CParker wrote:Hey guys,

I currently have regular whelen position lights, and a new LED rotating beacon. I'm considering replacing the position lights with LED, and potentially strobes as well. I realize there isn't a regulatory requirement for this, but it's a "feel good" mod for those busy traffic patterns.

With that intent in mind, should I get light/strobes in all three positions, or will just wing tip strobes give me the best result?

Unless your flush full of money and absolutely have to outfit your plane with the latest and greatest, I will say just leave the stock configuration alone and at the very most place some Aero-Lite LED builbs in the wingtip NAV lights and roll with the stock strobe and beacon. LED landing light is about the best improvement you can get. Anything else is wasted money in my honest opinion.

Here is a short walk around at night of my Stock Cessna 150L, with LED landing light, and whelen strobes. no mistaking this anywhere.

FWIW, flashing nav lights are not legal. At least in Canada, but a thorough inspection of the FARS would show the same I'm sure. So yes they work, but they aren't legal. LED strobes do work great, and the whelen ones have a longer flash which I like as they are easier to home in on during the daylight then the faster flash of the old style powered ones.

Maybe we're not on the same thinking page....some Cessna aircraft were equipped with Whelen or aero flash strobes. The strobes are separate from the nav lights. If your aircraft is not equipped with the strobe lights, YES , I highly recommend a LED solution if strobes is what you want. There is no sense is going backwards in technology!

lownslow79 wrote:Maybe we're not on the same thinking page....some Cessna aircraft were equipped with Whelen or aero flash strobes. The strobes are separate from the nav lights. If your aircraft is not equipped with the strobe lights, YES , I highly recommend a LED solution if strobes is what you want. There is no sense is going backwards in technology!

Ah yes, sorry. I know there has been talk about the flashing LED nav bulbs here as well and that's what I thought you had. Sorry!

Thanks guys. To clarify, I don't have any strobes at all right now, just one new Whelen LED rotating beacon and three incandescent position lights. I do have LED landing/taxi lights.

The reason I'm balking a bit about a rear position light strobe is I already have the rotating beacon back there, and the wingtip strobes are advertised as 180*. My plan was to replace the rear with a standard LED, and replace the wingtip position lights with LED position/strobe lights.

I'm doing some upgrades on my Pacer and got the AeroLEDs. From what I've seen from some others here running them like BigRenna and Willie Steen, they are the way to go.

Here's what I got:

- Sunspot 36 HX for landing and taxi (we have a dedicated light for each in a dual housing)
- Pulsar NS (these are the combo nav light and anti-collision flashers on the wingtips
- SunTail (directional)

They'll be featured in an upcoming BCP video.

Zane, it's not too bad of a job to add a right side light. The built-in wig-wag is awesome!!

Cary,

Consider having those pulse lights flashing all the time, not just 10-12 miles from the airport, especially if they are LED bulbs. If they are not LED bulbs, get some, turn em on, leave em on. It’s amazing how well lights help.

Kurt

lownslow79 wrote:

CParker wrote:Hey guys,

I currently have regular whelen position lights, and a new LED rotating beacon. I'm considering replacing the position lights with LED, and potentially strobes as well. I realize there isn't a regulatory requirement for this, but it's a "feel good" mod for those busy traffic patterns.

With that intent in mind, should I get light/strobes in all three positions, or will just wing tip strobes give me the best result?

Unless your flush full of money and absolutely have to outfit your plane with the latest and greatest, I will say just leave the stock configuration alone and at the very most place some Aero-Lite LED builbs in the wingtip NAV lights and roll with the stock strobe and beacon. LED landing light is about the best improvement you can get. Anything else is wasted money in my honest opinion.

Here is a short walk around at night of my Stock Cessna 150L, with LED landing light, and whelen strobes. no mistaking this anywhere.

Those lights are great and I WANT that music to play when I turn them on!

I have the Aeroflash strobes and they work fine. Not interested in that LED stuff.