Runway lights covered during painting - GIF

[Duke_of_URL]

The results of giving the work to the lowest bidder.
In the spirit of saving the organization money, finance people invariably end up costing the organization even more.

Side Note: When LEDs began dominating the world of illumination, the aviation industry thought it would be a huge plus to changeover airport lighting to LEDs for reduced electricity consumption, as well as increased longevity and reliability. Airport managers, always interested in lowering operational and maintenance costs, snapped them up and began installing them. Then came the planes, and inclement weather. Most of those big transoceanic aircraft have infrared vision systems for display on the Pilot’s Heads Up Display and the Primary Flight Displays, but… where were the runway lights? Pilots implored the Tower to turn on the Runway Lights, and are told the Lights ARE on, but the nervous Pilot says they can’t be seen in air on Infrared. Everyone thinks the other side is crazy. That’s when the LED manufacturer admits that their LEDs don’t have much Infrared signature, like the original incandescents, due to their “low power nature.” With that established, the solution was offered, which was to place a electrically powered heat source (a honking powered resistor) into the LED light, making it look like the old lights, thereby satisfying the Infrared System in the aircraft. The only casualty being the operational cost savings on electricity that airports found most attractive. Which reminds me of a great statement originally told one of my Engineering colleagues by his first boss at another company:.
“There’s no such thing as a simple Engineering change.” - Anonymous

[desbromilow]

The results of giving the work to the lowest bidder.
In the spirit of saving the organization money, finance people invariably end up costing the organization even more.

Side Note: When LEDs began dominating the world of illumination, the aviation industry thought it would be a huge plus to changeover airport lighting to LEDs for reduced electricity consumption, as well as increased longevity and reliability. Airport managers, always interested in lowering operational and maintenance costs, snapped them up and began installing them. Then came the planes, and inclement weather. Most of those big transoceanic aircraft have infrared vision systems for display on the Pilot’s Heads Up Display and the Primary Flight Displays, but… where were the runway lights? Pilots implored the Tower to turn on the Runway Lights, and are told the Lights ARE on, but the nervous Pilot says they can’t be seen in air on Infrared. Everyone thinks the other side is crazy. That’s when the LED manufacturer admits that their LEDs don’t have much Infrared signature, like the original incandescents, due to their “low power nature.” With that established, the solution was offered, which was to place a electrically powered heat source (a honking powered resistor) into the LED light, making it look like the old lights, thereby satisfying the Infrared System in the aircraft. The only casualty being the operational cost savings on electricity that airports found most attractive. Which reminds me of a great statement originally told one of my Engineering colleagues by his first boss at another company:.
“There’s no such thing as a simple Engineering change.” - Anonymous

You would think the engineers would instead substitute some of the LEDs for IR LEDs similar to how traffic light LED banks are not all "red" in the top one, but have a few other colours in there for the colour blind people to register. Unless the IR LED isn't powerful enough for the instruments, you would think IR blaster LEDS for 5-10% of the total LED bank would be enough to register on the instrument.

[Duke_of_URL]

Back in the day, it might have been the result of component costs, technology availability, decreasing reliability through adding another semiconductor device, or that the IR LED can’t output radiation sufficient to transit the distance required and through all forms of inclement weather. Besides, the “hot resistor” also kept the ice and snow from building up on the runway lights.