Toronto Pearson International Airport: Airfield Lighting Systems

This is an overview of the Airport Guidance Lighting Systems, installed and operating, at Toronto Pearson International Airport, located 25 kilometres from downtown Toronto, Ontario. The airport is Operated by the Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA), under a lease agreement with the Government of Canada. The GTAA has upgraded and improved the entire airport, including two new runways, one new terminal, new cargo facilities, an on-airport people mover system, a co-generation facility, and new airfield lighting and control systems, amongst others.

The Airport Guidance Lighting Systems at Toronto Pearson consist of two ALSF II Approach Lighting Systems, located on Runways 06L and 05. All other runways (15R/33L, 15L/33R, 06R/24L, 23 and 24R) have a SSALR (Short Simplified Approach Lights for Runway) approach and a set of four PAPI’s (Position Approach Path Indicator). The runways also have threshold lights, elevated edge lights and inset high speed exit lights. Four of the five runways include inset centreline lights and two runways boast inset touchdown zone lights.

In the order of eighty taxiways, high-speed exits and apron entrances, contain taxiway edge and inset centreline lights. Retro-reflective markers are located on straight-a-ways. Clearance bar inset lights, guidance signs and runway guard lights are located at the hold positions to each runway.

Toronto Pearson is among the few Canadian airports to utilise fiber optics on our directional signage. Along with conserving energy, this also enhances their visibility, especially during foggy conditions. During CAT III (low visibility) operations, the addition of a “ring of red” around the runways has been installed. This “ring of red” consists of red inset lights from taxiway edge to taxiway edge plus two elevated red stopbar lights located at either end of the inset lights. These are located at the hold position pavement markings. Aircraft sensing devices have also been strategically located at various locations. The information from these sensors is used to control traffic and reset stop-bars and taxi lead-on lights as routes become available.

Although this sounds simple, the systems are comprised of approximately 15,000 lights and isolating transformers, 700 fiber optic signs, 1000 airfield lighting circuits, 28 Circuit Selector Switch Stations (CSSS), 27-2400V shielded cable circuits for the ILS (instrument landing systems) 192 regulators, five field electrical centers (FEC) (See Fig. 1) and several miles of airfield lighting cable. The total number of lamps is approximately 30,000 with some insets containing two lamps. Some signs may be comprised of up to eight lamps each.

Figure 1

In order to maintain and ensure each airfield circuit is in good operating condition, airside electrical staff need to megger (test) each circuit every three months. This task can be challenging, given that Toronto Pearson handles over 400,000 aircraft movements per year. The latest addition to our airfield lighting is Auto-Meggering. The system is currently in the final stages of installation. This is one of the first installations of its kind in Canada.

Each individual circuit on the airfield will be meggered (tested) continuously and the values automatically recorded. The circuits include those controlled by circuit selectors both in the FEC rooms and at remote field stations. When megger values fall to low levels, an alarm is activated for the airfield electrician and identification of the circuit in question is supplied.

Electricians will not need to manually megger circuits as often and will be informed of specific problems before they become an issue. The interface is being integrated into the software that the electricians are already familiar with. Training will be fairly simple as our own in-house electrical staff are being utilised to install the system, under the strict supervision of the provider.

The system will be easy to maintain as defective parts can be replaced quickly.

Airside electrical lighting systems are an essential safety component at the airport. If planes can’t land and take off safely, and in a timely manner, many other airport systems and processes will not be utilised.

The daily electrical maintenance routine consists of replacing lamps in signs, taxiway and runway elevated edge lights, inset lights located on taxiways and runways, plus an inspection of the CAT III ( low visibility) lighting system. The number of lights being replaced, especially elevated edge lights, increases dramatically during snow events. The bigger the storm, the more lights and signs that may be affected. Airfield maintenance crews work diligently to remove snow that is obstructing all mandatory guidance lighting such as signs, elevated stopbars and runway guard lights.

In order to accomplish this task, with limited access to runways and taxiways, we designed and had custom built an inset repair truck/all purpose service vehicle (See Fig. 2). Our airside electrical staff designed the vehicle based on their needs. As you can see in the photo this vehicle can be used during almost any weather condition. The canopy and rubber skirts completely enclose the work area making for a more comfortable environment to work in. The vehicle has a built in generator and air compressor to power a variety of tools including impact drivers, drills, vacuums and grinders. To optimise safety the vehicle also has two cameras, one located in the work area and one for the rear of the vehicle.

Figure 2

The GTAA maintains all systems according to the records, instructions and schedules contained within the Airport Maintenance Management System (AMMS). The guidelines and schedules are all based on regulations, manufacturers operation manuals and best maintenance practices. All fixtures and lamps are removed, refurbished and/or replaced at predetermined intervals. The guidelines also recommend other tasks such as lens cleaning, windsock replacement, Regulator and Circuit Selector Switch Station inspection and maintenance. Elevated stopbars, approach lights, PAPI’s, runway edge and runway guard lights are all scheduled in the program for refurbishing and alignment. Pulpits are cleared of debris and transformers and all connections inspected.

The GTAA is dedicated to using systems and equipment that provide a longer lamp life and potential energy savings. Improving the efficiency of the organisation is continuous and a necessary process, especially during tough economical times.

We have developed a GPS based inspection system to report and track airfield lighting outages and transmit the reports electronically to the Operations department. The Operations department uses these reports, among with others to determine status campus wide. Future plans for the inspection system include communication between the inspection vehicle and all repair vehicles in real time, with reporting of completed repairs. The GPS inspection system reduces the inspection time, standardises report forms, records all reports for future use and expedites repairs by identifying them on the report form or maps. The GPS system will direct the electrician to the exact location of the fixture to be repaired which is especially helpful during adverse weather conditions or in the middle of the night.

One of the GTAA’s major initiatives is energy conservation. We have taken several steps to reduce our electrical consumption by selecting new, more efficient products and processes. Additional steps include designing circuits so that the lighting can be better controlled for specific operations and creating menus for the airfield lighting so that only the lighting required is selected at the lowest brightness while maintaining safety. During periods of low aircraft movements all non-required lighting is switched off. The GTAA’s Operations and Standards department along with airside electrical staff are working closely with NavCanada on ways to reduce electrical consumption.

The electrical team services the airfield twenty-fours a day, seven days a week, and three hundred sixty-five days a year. As Toronto Pearson is the busiest airport in Canada the time allowed for maintenance of the airfield lighting is normally scheduled between 00:01 to 05:00. Routine preventative maintenance is scheduled during daylight hours during weekdays. Tasks requiring runway closures for longer periods of time are scheduled for the weekends. Emergency situations are addressed immediately. The GTAA’s greatest asset is the committed and dependable staff.

Personally, I would like to thank the 13 electricians, two apprentices, three facility maintainers, two technical inspectors, and one project coordinator who make up the immediate airside electrical maintenance team that directly maintain the systems. Next I would like to thank our electrical engineering team who are responsible for much of our innovative technology and overseeing our construction projects. I would also like to thank our entire organisation and the multitude of departments, (too many to name) who come together at the GTAA to support us in getting our job done and done well.

The GTAA remains committed to operating Toronto Pearson in a safe and innovative manner.