What type of lights are used on airport runways?

Question

You know those huge international airports, they have these powerful flood lights that are used to guide the planes on the runway. What type of lights are those? Sodium? Xenon? How powerful are they actually? Like, how much lux do they give off? Anyone know this?

Answer 1

LEDs

Answer 2

Well there just regular bulbs with a colored glass over them.. They can be controlled like the ones in you house to be dimmed or real bright,,, and yes they do get hit occasionally

and there are guys that ride around in a truck at my terminal changes bulbs 8 hrs a day

Answer 3

Actually runway lights (the ones that line the runways if that's what you're referring to) are just long life incandescent bulbs; sort of like smaller light bulbs like you would find in a fixture at home. Their intensity may be raised or lowered by the tower crew or the pilots themselves at fields with pilot controlled lighting.

Runways are not illuminated by large floodlamps as we would be blinded when trying to take off or land. Ramps may be lighted by floodlights in certain areas.

Approach lights at the end of the runway or in series before the runways are usually xenon strobes. I have no idea of their candlepower however.