Major airports have flarepaths - lighting systems embedded in the runway, which allow operation in night or poor weather.

They can't be installed in grass strips, and they require constant maintenance.

The proposal is for a tall folding tower mounted on a large generator truck. From the top of the tower, scanning beams of visible laser light in different colours trace out the flarepath on ther ground..

As the beams are pointing down, and scanning very fast, even with high laser powers there's little risk of eye exposure.

It's basically a giant version of a laser scanning keyboard.

Useful in emergencies and to give grass strips 24/7 and poor weather capabilities.
-- 8th of 7, Jun 05 2014

http://www.greatlan...ay-edge-marking.jpg [2 fries shy of a happy meal, Jun 05 2014]

Because I'm wearing my tin foil hat, I had to bun this.
-- xandram, Jun 05 2014


Tis a good idea.
Tis also baked sir. [link]ed image.
-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Jun 05 2014


Yes, seen those, but it's just drawing a single continuous line.

This draws a complete flarepath - threshold, centreline, edges and a rabbit.
-- 8th of 7, Jun 05 2014


Right. {ahem} As you were then.
-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Jun 05 2014


No, it's a small furry burrowing rodent that lives on airfields. What part of this don't you understand ?
-- 8th of 7, Jun 05 2014


One of my neighbors owns a lighting business for events, and a host of cool gear - he'd be happy to be on call for emergency landings in weather, and during the off hours he could host raves on the runway.
-- normzone, Jun 06 2014


What happens when the plane lands and rolls through the path of the lasers? Would lasers reflecting off of the ground really have the same intensity as individual lights?
-- DIYMatt, Jun 06 2014


// What happens when the plane lands and rolls through the path of the lasers? //

The bit of ground covered by the plane goes dark. This is called a "shadow". However, it's more normal for pilots to look forwards at where the plane is headed. It's something flying instructors put quite a bit if emphasis on, and is considered something of a prerequisite for a non-instrument approach and landing.

// Would lasers reflecting off of the ground really have the same intensity as individual lights? //

No, they woudn't, but they would certainly be distinct and visible in VFR conditions at night.
-- 8th of 7, Jun 06 2014



random, halfbakery