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The medium intensity approach lighting system with runway alignment indicator lights operating on runway 32 at the Arcata/Eureka Airport in McKinleyville, California, was causing a severe glare hazard to motorist driving on a nearby highway that crossed through the system, approximately 1400 feet from the end of the runway. Specifically, the glare was caused by high-intensity light output from the strobe portion of the Approach Lighting System. The Western-Pacific Region, Airway Facilities Division requested the Airport Technology Research and Development Branch to investigate and provide possible solutions to eliminate the hazard.
Based on the geometry of the roadway and the Approach Lighting System, it was determined that a series of baffles installed on three of the five strobe lights would be the most effective way to block the light from being projected directly into the motorists’ eyes. Engineers designed, developed, and constructed three different aluminum baffles specifically for the situation at the Arcata/Eureka Airport. Each of the three baffles differed slightly in design, as they were optimized for each of their respective locations within the Approach Lighting System.
Ground and flight evaluations, which included the use of motor vehicles and aircraft, were conducted during both day- and nighttime conditions to determine if the glare hazard had been eliminated without affecting the usability of the lights for approaching aircraft. The results of the evaluations showed that the baffles had eliminated the glare hazard to motorist on the highway without reducing the essential approach guidance needed by pilots.
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