ARP8467 Aircraft Exterior Camera Video System Lighting

The video systems include a camera, display, and lights. Video is the recording, reproducing, or broadcasting of moving visual images as illustrated in Figure 1.

A camera video imaging system is a system composed of a camera and a monitor, as well as other components, in which the monitor provides a real-time or near real-time visual image of the scene captured by the camera. Such systems are capable of providing remote views to the pilot and can therefore be used to provide improved visibility (for example, coverage of blind spots). In general, camera video systems may be used in the pilot’s work position for purposes of improving airplane and corresponding environmental visibility.

Examples of aircraft video system applications include:

In 2012, the National Transportation Safety Board suggested that large aircraft be equipped with external cameras to give pilots a better view of a plane’s wingtips as they travel along the taxiway and possibly cut down on ground crashes (refer to NTSB Safety Recommendations A-12-48 and -49).

Airplane camera system applications have experienced new usage scenarios and image quality issues (washout, color shift, bright spots, flickering, color rendering) due to:

The scope of this SAE Aerospace Recommended Practice (ARP) is recommendations about the lighting for the airplane exterior camera video system with a pilot in the loop.

This ARP does not address enhanced or synthetic vision systems that help pilot visibility during flight. This ARP does not cover so-called enhanced flight vision systems (EFVS). Refer to FAA AC 90-106. Enhanced vision is a technology that incorporates information from aircraft-based sensors (e.g., near-infrared [IR] cameras, millimeter wave radar) to provide vision in limited visibility environments. Enhanced vision systems (EVS) allow for increased pilot visibility and flight safety during flight operations in darkness, smoke, haze, rain, fog, and other low visibility conditions. EVS enhances a pilot’s ability to safely fly an aircraft by providing increased flight visibility for improved situation awareness.

The initial scope of this recommended practice is lighting for airplane exterior lighting for ground maneuver camera systems. Section 3 gives general guidance for camera video systems, and Section 4 provides specific design recommendations for airplane exterior ground camera video system lighting. The camera and display parts of the video system are not the focus of this ARP, but pertinent characteristics need to be described, understood, and defined for the lighting guidelines to be useful for the video system designer.

For flight deck display requirements, utilize:

SAE J3155 is an SAE camera recommended practice for automotive rear-view mirror cameras. In addition to SAE J3155, for camera recommendations, refer to: