What does a complete AGL airport layout look like?
Understand how airport ground lighting systems, visual aids, electrical circuits and control equipment fit together in a typical airport layout.
A complete AGL airport layout is the whole airfield lighting plan on one drawing. Approach lights and PAPI bring the aircraft in, the runway lights mark where to land and how much runway is left, green taxiway centrelines and blue edge lights lead it off, red stop bars at designated holding positions and lit signs help keep aircraft off the runway, and apron lighting serves the stand.
Behind the lights sits one power and control system. The CCR house drives the approach, runway, taxiway and stand-guidance lights on separate series circuits, so a fault in one circuit leaves the others working. Apron floodlighting is normally fed from ordinary low-voltage distribution instead, and the tower controls brightness and switching of the airfield lighting from one point. Reading the layout as one system lets an engineer trace any light back to its supply, regulator and control.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1What is a complete AGL airport layout?
The plan of every airfield ground lighting system on the airport and how they fit together: approach lights, runway lights, taxiway lights with stop bars and signs, apron lighting, and the CCR house, cables and controls that feed them all. It shows the airport as one lit system rather than a set of separate drawings.
Q2Which lighting systems make up an airport's AGL layout?
Approach lighting and visual approach slope aids such as PAPI, runway lights (edge, threshold, centreline, touchdown zone and end), taxiway edge and centreline lights, stop bars, guidance signs, apron floodlighting and stand guidance, plus the lit windsock and the aerodrome beacon. The exact set depends on the runway type and the weather minima the airport supports.
Q3How are the lights powered and connected?
Approach, runway and taxiway lights are normally on series circuits. A constant current regulator (CCR) in the electrical house drives each circuit at a fixed current, up to 6.6 A at full brightness for a standard circuit, and each light is fed through an isolating transformer. These systems normally have separate circuits so a fault in one does not black out another. Apron floodlights are usually supplied from ordinary low-voltage distribution instead.
Q4Why are stop bars and signs shown on the connecting taxiways?
Stop bars are installed at designated holding positions where required by the applicable aerodrome standards and operating procedures. They give a visual stop indication that helps prevent unauthorised entry onto a runway, including in low-visibility operations. Guidance signs tell the pilot where they are and which way to go.
Q5Who controls the lights?
Air traffic control sets brightness and switches circuits from the tower, usually through an airfield lighting control and monitoring system (ALCMS) that also reports lamp and circuit status. A local control point at the CCR house gives a backup if the remote control fails.
Q6Is the layout the same at every airport?
No. Layouts differ with the number of runways, the runway category (non-instrument, non-precision or precision approach), the taxiway network and the apron design. The diagram shows one runway with a parallel taxiway as a typical teaching example, and the national standard in force sets the design values.
See It. Understand It. Then Learn How to Engineer It.
Recognising an AGL system visually is the first step. The next step is knowing how to design, install, test, commission and maintain them correctly.
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Learn how each light, sign and circuit works as part of a complete airport lighting system, not just as an isolated diagram.