What are the strobe lights I saw from I-90 at the Wye?
The strobe lights that you can see when driving down Highway 10 West from the Wye are the approach lights to Runway 11. The system consists of 5 sequenced strobes mounted on towers, as well as 45 steady burning white lights, and a row of green threshold lights at the edge of the runway. The system is used to “lead” pilots to the runway as they transition from instruments to visual flight during periods of low visibility. As a pilot descends out of the clouds, the bright approach lights will generally be the first visual cue the pilot will see when on final approach to Runway 11. In addition, on the left side of the runway is a precision approach path indicator, or PAPI. The PAPI uses red and white lights to indicate to the pilot if he is too high, too low, or on the correct glide path.
