I’m very active on the Expert server and fly almost every night. I see more and more people taxi with Landing lights on and this baffles me. I have always been under the impression that Landing lights are only to be used Under 10000ft and/or on an Active Runway. I see many experienced IF pilots taxi with their landing lights on and wondered is it down to personal preference? or should it be frowned upon as much as when strobes are used during taxi. I’d love to hear back from you and also hear about the official real world procedure.
Some pilots like to simulate the landing lights as the taxi lights at the ground, that’s why they turn the landing lights on. ;)
Some people actually make this mistake on turning the landing lights and strobes on, but in most of the cases, they simulate with landing lights as we don’t have the Taxi in the game
Personally I don’t use landing lights when taxiing, mainly becuase they simply they don’t illuminate. If there were actual separate taxi lights, or if landing lights illuminate onto the ground ahead, then it would be a different story for me.
You’ll notice that many commercial aircraft will use their taxi lights while taxiing, but shut them off when they aren’t moving. It’s a visual cue to other aircraft they they’re not moving at that moment (this helps with right of way issues). I’m in favor of using my landing lights as taxi lights for this purpose, to let other aircraft know of my intention to move.
I do not use landing lights during taxi, yes it is cool to simulate taxi lights, but I like to keep professional and not use them. I’d rather wait until we get actual taxi lights.
It’s not that widely known, unless you’re someone that works in aviation at the pilot/mechanic/airport crew Level. But if you know what you’re looking for, it becomes pretty easy to spot