Thanks to team, pilots' 'third eye' stays vigilant
Crew at Tianjin's Binhai airport inspects thousands of lights daily to ensure planes taxi, land safely
Maintenance is no easy task.
During the day, team members check the navigational lights on the east and west runways, as well as on the various taxiways. In the evening, they inspect the high mast lights that illuminate the apron, ensuring their brightness meets the requirements of ground personnel. They also check the position signs on the apron, ensure the accurate placement of aircraft, and re-inspect the navigational lights on the east and west runways.
As seasons change, the team becomes increasingly significant due to the impact of varying weather conditions. Extreme weather can make their work especially challenging. The team members regularly conduct comprehensive inspections and maintenance of the over 13,000 navigational lights within the airport. They also clean the reflector windows and lenses of the lights to ensure optimal projection and clear the power supply boxes on the shoulder areas on the runways and taxiways to prevent water accumulation due to temperature and humidity changes.
They must also undertake the critical task of light testing. Upon discovering damaged lights, they promptly arrange for emergency repairs to ensure the normal operation of the airport's navigational light system.
