3 ms·

If you're helming a small boat in heavy weather at night having a lighthouse to steer to is significantly better than even a dedicated plotter mounted in sight

If you're helming a small boat in heavy weather at night having a lighthouse to steer to is significantly better than even a dedicated plotter mounted in sight of the helm, let alone a phone you have to hold. Some harbour/river entrances have a sectored light. White if you're sailing in safe water, red if you're to the left of it, green if you're to the right. Makes a fantastic navigation aid for the entrance and I'll take a setup like that over a plotter for pilotage any day.

HPsquared 4y ago
Sectored lights sound similar to the PAPI (Precision approach path indicator) on runways: the lights show as red or white depending if you're on the correct glide slope, too low or too high. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Precision_approach_path_indicator https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Precision_approach_path_indica...
- andrewaylett 4y ago
  I suspect the sectored lights came first and PAPI was inspired by them :).
- boarnoah 4y ago
  Aircraft carriers use a red, green and yellow laser to assist with lining up for the center line of the landing deck area. Flashing to indicate how much of a correction needs to be made and turning yellow once on center line. Incidentally I couldn't find much information on this "Long range laser lineup" outside of DCS where I've heard of this first, a bit odd considering the other landing system for glide slope is fairly well documented.
  - HPsquared 4y ago
    Glide slope on a ship will be complicated by the constant pitching on the waves, so the system will need to gimbal somehow. Might as well have an active system that tracks the plane directly. Perhaps laser is also good to reduce the visible signature of the ship, the fewer lights the better. Or maybe it's just brighter for the pilots.
  - mrguyorama 4y ago
    I have not heard of a "laser" based system. I know of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optical_landing_system https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optical_landing_system but maybe that's legacy now?
    - boarnoah 4y ago
      Keep in mind my knowledge almost entirely comes out of DCS, a combat flight simulator game. > maybe that's legacy now No as far as I'm aware it continues to be a thing, to assist in keeping on glidepath. The lineup system is for aligning to center line (horizontally relative to carrier's deck) from a distance. I did find it odd that there is barely any mention of it outside some internet forums, the closest to an authoritative source I found was this https://www.cnatra.navy.mil/local/docs/pat-pubs/P-816.pdf https://www.cnatra.navy.mil/local/docs/pat-pubs/P-816.pdf (see Page 24)

HPsquared 4y ago

Sectored lights sound similar to the PAPI (Precision approach path indicator) on runways: the lights show as red or white depending if you're on the correct glide slope, too low or too high. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Precision_approach_path_indicator https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Precision_approach_path_indica...

andrewaylett 4y ago
I suspect the sectored lights came first and PAPI was inspired by them :).
boarnoah 4y ago
Aircraft carriers use a red, green and yellow laser to assist with lining up for the center line of the landing deck area. Flashing to indicate how much of a correction needs to be made and turning yellow once on center line. Incidentally I couldn't find much information on this "Long range laser lineup" outside of DCS where I've heard of this first, a bit odd considering the other landing system for glide slope is fairly well documented.
- HPsquared 4y ago
  Glide slope on a ship will be complicated by the constant pitching on the waves, so the system will need to gimbal somehow. Might as well have an active system that tracks the plane directly. Perhaps laser is also good to reduce the visible signature of the ship, the fewer lights the better. Or maybe it's just brighter for the pilots.
- mrguyorama 4y ago
  I have not heard of a "laser" based system. I know of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optical_landing_system https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optical_landing_system but maybe that's legacy now?
  - boarnoah 4y ago
    Keep in mind my knowledge almost entirely comes out of DCS, a combat flight simulator game. > maybe that's legacy now No as far as I'm aware it continues to be a thing, to assist in keeping on glidepath. The lineup system is for aligning to center line (horizontally relative to carrier's deck) from a distance. I did find it odd that there is barely any mention of it outside some internet forums, the closest to an authoritative source I found was this https://www.cnatra.navy.mil/local/docs/pat-pubs/P-816.pdf https://www.cnatra.navy.mil/local/docs/pat-pubs/P-816.pdf (see Page 24)