Nonincandescent Source Aviation Signal Light Colors

Aviation signal lighting systems are increasingly replacing filtered and unfiltered incandescent lamps with light-emitting diode (LED) sources to create various signal light colors. As LED sources produce spectral distributions that can differ in color appearance from incandescent signal lights, it is important to understand how the characteristics of LEDs influence color identification. The objective of this research was to provide chromaticity regions for aviation signal lights that maximize the likelihood of correct identification while minimizing the potential for confusion with other colors. Three color identification studies of aviation signal lights were conducted to produce white, yellow, red, blue, and green colors using filtered and unfiltered incandescent lamps and LEDs. The objectives of these studies were to (1) identify chromaticity regions resulting in a high probability of correctly identifying aviation signal lights as white; (2) compare the color identification performance of color-normal and color-deficient observers in response to incandescent and LED signal lights of each nominal color (white, yellow, red, blue, and green); and (3) identify chromaticity regions resulting in a high probability of correctly identifying aviation signal lights as yellow, red, or blue. Based on the results of these studies, recommendations for each of the nominal signal colors are provided in the Commission Internationale de l’Éclairage 1931 chromaticity space.

• Record URL:
  http://www.airporttech.tc.faa.gov/DesktopModules/FlexNews/DownloadHandler.ashx?id=b8145d4d-1b09-4574-9f11-3c0e18aefee1&f=TC-TN12-61.pdf
• 
• Corporate Authors:

  Federal Aviation Administration

  William J. Hughes Technical Center, Airport Technology Research and Development Branch
  Atlantic City International Airport
  Atlantic City, NJ  United States  08405

  Federal Aviation Administration

  Civil Aerospace Medical Institute, P.O. Box 25082
  Oklahoma City, OK  United States  73125

  Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

  Lighting Research Center, 21 Union Street
  Troy, NY  United States  12180

  Federal Aviation Administration

  Office of Airport Safety and Standards
  800 Independence Avenue, SW
  Washington, DC  United States  20591
• Authors:
  • Bullough, John D
  • Skinner, Nicholas P
  • Bierman, Andrew
  • Milburn, Nelda J
  • Taranta, Rachel T
  • Narendran, N
  • Gallagher, Donald W
• Publication Date: 2012-10

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Web
• Edition: Technical Note
• Features: Appendices; Figures; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 95p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Aviation; Color; Color vision; Incandescent lamps; Light emitting diodes; Signal lights; Visual perception
• Uncontrolled Terms: Chromaticity
• Subject Areas: Aviation; Vehicles and Equipment; I91: Vehicle Design and Safety;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01471169
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: DOT/FAA/TC-TN12/45
• Files: TRIS, ATRI, USDOT
• Created Date: Feb 1 2013 10:07AM