marchapril2021 - 40

PRODUCT PROFILE
AUTHOR Jessica Purgett

CAUTION:
Closure Ahead

Hali-Brite's RCM-D L-893(L) lighted
runway closure marker offers a safer
alternative to unlighted options.

HALI-BRITE DEVELOPED its RCM-D L-893(L) lighted runway
closure marker in 2005 to improve pilot's ability to discern
a runway closure. This product allows pilots to recognize
a runway closure from up to 25 miles away, providing a
safer alternative to unlit runway closure makers.
" These are obviously very difficult to
see at night providing very little notice,
if any at all, to a closed runway situation, "
Gabe Aldridge and Wes Wagner, owners
of Hali-Brite, said when asked about unlit
runway closure markers. " This created a
significant safety risk to the airport, the
pilots and the many patrons of air travel. "
The RCM-D L-893(L) lighted
runway closure marker can be used
night and day to denote closures for
various runway projects. During the day,
the RCM-D L-893(L) lighted runway
closure marker's lights are brighter than
they are at night. The built-in photocell
dims the lights to prevent pilots from
being blinded as the sun starts to set.
" Early on in testing phases, it was
quickly realized that during nighttime
use, the lights were way too bright -
like when someone forgets their brights
are on and you drive past squinting and
looking at the shoulder. The automatic
dimmer dims the intensity down for
maximum visibility, but also acceptable
brightness levels for pilots, " Aldridge and
Wagner said.
The RCM-D L-893(L) lighted
runway closure marker uses 20 individual
LED lights, an upgrade from the PAR38

Halogen bulbs Hali-Brite used in earlier
models.
" [The Halogen bulbs] used in earlier
models presented a significant issue with
airports and contractors, " Aldridge and
Wagner said. " Even if they did find a
bulb to work, the units were no longer
FAA certified, and did not flash or dim
correctly with LED bulbs.
" Originally we thought to make
a redesign/retrofit just using an LED
bulb and making the appropriate
modifications to our electronics. The
problem with the LED bulbs is the
market is extremely unpredictable. We
needed a consistent lamp that was cost
effective for the end user and also one
that we could guarantee the quality. "
Hali-Brite decided to manufacture
its own lamp modules to guarantee the
dimming mechanism works and provides
an identical appearance to pilots.
" On the old model you had to replace
bulbs often. The nature of the machine
being set up, taken down and set up again,
was hard on light bulbs and a constant
battle to keep the bulbs changed. The
new LED model has 50,000 hours of
life, so no more bulbs ever, " commented
Aldridge and Wagner.

40 \ AIRPORTBUSINESS / MARCH/APRIL 2021

HALI-BRITE

Aldridge and Wagner realized their
existing customers wouldn't want to
buy a new set of lighted runway closure
markers when they made this change.
Hali-Brite designed and built an LED
upgrade kit consisting of new electronics
and a new LED " X " assembly when the
company redesigned the lighted runway
closure marker. Companies using an
older version of the product don't have
to buy a new set.
Aldridge and Wagner said their
customers use the RCM-D L-893(L)
lighted runway closure marker for
anything from snowplowing to resealing
or complete runway renovations.
" Most airports that have runway
lights and commercial traffic have a
set of lighted runway closure markers, "
Aldridge and Wagner said. " Very
commonly, as airports grow and
construction takes place, the engineer
will specify that the contractor supplies
a set of lighted runway closure markers
for use during the runway construction
project. It is very common at completion
of the project that the contractor is to
hand them over to the airport for
permanent ownership. "
Hali-Brite's lighted runway closure
markers are FAA certified, meaning they
can be set up in five minutes or less and
meet or exceed the FAA requirements for
lighted runway closure markers.
" Long story short, we built it to
adhere to the standards of Airport
Lighting Equipment, date 9/26/2012,
marchapril2021

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