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Runway status lights
Aviation safety system / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Runway Status Lights (RWSL) are a visual alerting system installed in some airport taxiways and runways for the purpose of collision-avoidance. When illuminated, red high-intensity LEDs indicate the presence of another vehicle either departing, occupying, or landing on an active runway. RWSL systems are fully-automated and intended to alert aircrews and ground vehicle operators of a potential runway incursion hazard. They operate as an additional layer of safety, independent of human-issued air traffic control clearances.[1]
![Runway Status Lighting (RWSL) activated at San Diego International Airport](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/87/9cMCO-Curved-RELs.jpg/640px-9cMCO-Curved-RELs.jpg)
The system works by processing traffic position and movement data generated by transponders aboard aircraft and airside ground-vehicles such as aircraft rescue and firefighting (ARFF) units, aircraft tugs, and snow-clearing equipment. That data is concentrated by Airport Surface Detection Equipment (ASDE) or Airport Surface Surveillance Capability (ASSC) systems and fed to a path-predicting computer algorithm. If potential traffic conflicts are detected, the appropriate lights are automatically turned on or off according to the system's control logic.