Mobile lighting towers improve apron safety by providing reliable, uniform illumination in areas where permanent floodlighting is unavailable, temporarily out of service or impractical.
They help ground crews, vehicle operators and pilots identify hazards, judge distances and work more safely during temporary or changing airside operations. When designed specifically for aviation environments, mobile towers can also provide the required light levels while controlling glare and limiting disruption to live airport operations.
Key takeaways
- Mobile lighting towers provide rapid apron illumination without requiring permanent foundations, cabling or high masts.
- Better visibility helps ground crews and vehicle operators identify people, equipment and potential hazards.
- Two Midstream Mobile Lighting Towers can be used to illuminate a Code E or Code F aircraft stand, subject to the approved lighting design and site conditions.
- Asymmetric optics direct light across the apron surface while helping to minimise glare for pilots and ground personnel.
- Mobile towers can support apron expansions, construction works, emergency operations, remote stands and temporary aircraft parking areas.
- A project-specific lighting design is essential to confirm the number, position and orientation of the towers.
Why is apron lighting important for ground operations?
Airport aprons are busy working environments where aircraft, vehicles, ground support equipment and personnel operate within a relatively restricted area.
Ground crews may be carrying out fuelling, loading, catering, maintenance, pushback and baggage-handling activities at the same time. At night or in poor visibility, insufficient or uneven lighting can make it more difficult to:
- See personnel working around an aircraft
- Identify vehicles and ground support equipment
- Recognise obstacles and trip hazards
- Read markings, labels and equipment controls
- Judge distances between aircraft, vehicles and infrastructure
- Complete inspections and servicing tasks accurately
Good apron lighting is not simply about producing a high lux level. It must provide suitable visibility across the entire operational area without creating excessive glare, strong shadows or poorly illuminated patches.
What are the lighting requirements for airport aprons?
ICAO Annex 14 provides recommendations for apron floodlighting, including horizontal and vertical illuminance, uniformity and glare control.
Aircraft stands are generally designed to achieve an average horizontal illuminance of at least 20 lux, with an average-to-minimum uniformity ratio not exceeding 4:1. Vertical illumination is also important because many apron activities take place above ground level, including aircraft servicing, loading and visual inspections.
Requirements can vary according to the airport, national regulations, aircraft type, stand configuration and the activities being undertaken. Airports should therefore assess each temporary lighting arrangement using a project-specific lighting design rather than relying on the output rating of the floodlights alone.
When should airports use mobile lighting towers?
Mobile lighting towers are most useful when permanent apron floodlighting is unavailable, unsuitable or cannot be installed within the required timeframe.
Common applications include:
Apron expansions
A new or extended apron may need to become operational before permanent electrical infrastructure and fixed high-mast lighting have been completed.
Mobile towers can provide temporary lighting while the permanent system is designed, approved and installed.
Construction and resurfacing projects
Taxiway, runway or apron works can temporarily change aircraft routes, parking positions and ground-handling areas.
Mobile lighting towers can be repositioned as the construction programme progresses, helping airports maintain suitable illumination throughout different phases of the project.
Emergency lighting
A failure affecting permanent masts, electrical supplies or control systems can leave part of an apron without sufficient illumination.
A mobile tower can provide temporary lighting while repairs or replacement works are completed.
Remote and seasonal stands
Some aircraft stands are only used during peak travel periods, special events or seasonal operations.
Installing permanent high-mast infrastructure may not be practical for areas that are used infrequently. Mobile towers provide a more flexible option that can be deployed when required and stored or relocated afterwards.
Isolation stands
Aircraft isolation areas are often positioned away from the main terminal and may not have permanent apron floodlighting.
Mobile lighting can support safe access, aircraft inspections and ground operations when an isolation stand is activated.
Areas affected by obstacle limitation requirements
Fixed high masts may not be suitable in areas where structure height is restricted by obstacle limitation surfaces or other airfield requirements.
A lower mobile mast may offer an alternative, subject to the airport’s operational and safety assessment.
VIP, military and special aircraft movements
Temporary aircraft parking arrangements may be needed for state visits, air shows, military operations or other special events.
Mobile towers allow additional lighting to be introduced without permanently changing the apron infrastructure.
Supplementary lighting
Existing floodlighting may not provide sufficient coverage from every required direction because of mast restrictions, stand changes or under performing infrastructure.
Mobile towers can provide supplementary illumination, although their positioning must be supported by a suitable lighting assessment.
How do mobile lighting towers reduce apron risks?
Mobile lighting towers help reduce risk by improving the visibility of people, equipment and aircraft throughout the working area.
They reduce poorly illuminated areas
A suitable lighting design positions the towers so their beams overlap across the aircraft stand. This helps avoid isolated dark areas where personnel, chocks, cables or ground support equipment may be difficult to see.
They support more uniform illumination
High output alone does not guarantee safe apron lighting. A tower could produce a bright area close to the mast while leaving the far side of the stand poorly illuminated.
Uniformity helps create more consistent visual conditions across the apron, making it easier for people to work and move between different areas.
They help control glare
Airport lighting must illuminate the apron without directing excessive light towards pilots, air traffic controllers, nearby roads or surrounding properties.
Asymmetric optics distribute light forwards and across the apron rather than relying on heavily tilted symmetric floodlights. This helps deliver useful light onto the working area while reducing unnecessary upward light and glare.
They can be re-positioned as operations change
Temporary stands and construction layouts may change regularly. Mobile towers can be relocated and re-aimed as the operational area develops.
A revised lighting design should be completed whenever tower positions, aircraft types or stand layouts change significantly.
How does the Midstream Mobile Lighting Tower work?
The Midstream Mobile Lighting Tower has been developed specifically for airport apron and large-area lighting applications.
Each hydraulic tower uses an 8.5-metre mast fitted with four 475 W Master asymmetric LED floodlights. The floodlights use purpose-designed optics to distribute light across the apron surface while controlling glare.
Two towers can provide lighting for a Code E or Code F aircraft stand when positioned in accordance with the approved lighting design. The exact coverage, light levels and number of towers will depend on factors including:
- Aircraft type and stand dimensions
- Required horizontal and vertical illuminance
- Tower position and setback
- Operational restrictions
- Existing lighting
- Nearby buildings and infrastructure
- Local airport and regulatory requirements
We can supply a project-specific lighting design to demonstrate the proposed performance before deployment.
What are the main features of the Midstream Mobile Lighting Tower?
Key features include:
- Four 475 W asymmetric LED apron floodlights
- An 8.5-metre hydraulic mast
- A 110-litre fuel tank for extended operation
- Low-glare optical distributions developed for apron lighting
- Two-stage surge protection
- Stainless-steel components for demanding outdoor environments
- Compact dimensions for transportation and airside positioning
- Optional mains-powered configurations
- Manual and hydraulic tower options
Can mobile lighting towers provide ICAO-compliant apron lighting?
Yes, a mobile lighting system can be designed to meet ICAO apron lighting recommendations.
However, compliance cannot be determined from the tower specification alone. It depends on the complete arrangement, including:
- The number of towers
- Their position around the stand
- The mounting height
- Floodlight aiming
- Optical distribution
- Aircraft size
- Required calculation area
- Obstructions and surrounding infrastructure
Airports should request a lighting calculation showing the expected average illuminance, minimum illuminance, uniformity and relevant vertical light levels.
Midstream provides a lighting design for each proposed arrangement so the airport can review the predicted performance before the towers are installed.
How quickly can mobile apron lighting be deployed?
Once delivered to site, a mobile lighting tower can be positioned and prepared for operation without the extensive civil engineering required for a permanent high-mast system.
This avoids work such as:
- Constructing concrete foundations
- Installing anchor bolts
- Trenching electrical cables
- Installing permanent distribution equipment
- Erecting fixed lighting masts
Typical our manufacturing lead times can be approximately four to six weeks.
Airports planning for emergency resilience may choose to keep mobile towers on site so they are available immediately if permanent lighting is disrupted.
How can mobile towers support emergency and humanitarian operations?
Emergency and humanitarian operations may require aircraft to use remote stands, temporary parking areas or airfields with damaged or incomplete infrastructure.
Mobile lighting towers can help maintain operations after dark by providing illumination for:
- Aircraft parking and servicing
- Loading and unloading relief supplies
- Ground vehicle movements
- Emergency maintenance
- Temporary passenger or cargo handling areas
- Military and civil response operations
Because the towers do not depend on permanent apron infrastructure, they can be deployed in areas where fixed lighting is unavailable.
What should airports check before choosing a mobile lighting tower?
Airport operations teams should assess the complete lighting solution rather than comparing towers solely by wattage or lumen output.
Important questions include:
Can the supplier provide a lighting design?
The supplier should demonstrate the expected performance across the full aircraft stand, including average light levels, minimum values and uniformity.
Is the tower designed for apron lighting?
General construction towers may produce high light output but may not provide the optical control, uniformity or glare management needed around aircraft.
How is glare controlled?
The floodlights should distribute light onto the working area without relying on excessive upward tilt. The lighting assessment should consider pilots, ground crews, air traffic controllers and neighboring areas.
Does the design consider vertical illumination?
Ground operations require people to see aircraft surfaces, equipment and tasks at working height. Horizontal lux values alone may not provide a complete picture of apron visibility.
How will the tower be positioned safely?
The location must consider aircraft movements, jet blast, vehicle routes, wing clearances, stand equipment and obstacle restrictions.
Does the power source match the application?
The airport should assess operating duration, refuelling arrangements, emissions restrictions, noise and access to mains electricity.
Can the tower be transported and re-positioned easily?
The unit should be compatible with the airport’s available lifting, towing and handling equipment.
Is the equipment suitable for the site conditions?
The specification should account for rain, dust, temperature, corrosion, wind and other environmental conditions at the airport.
Are mobile lighting towers a replacement for permanent apron lighting?
Mobile lighting towers are not always intended to replace a permanent high-mast system.
They are particularly valuable as:
- A temporary solution during construction
- Emergency backup lighting
- Lighting for remote or seasonal stands
- A short-term response to apron reconfiguration
- Supplementary illumination where permanent infrastructure is restricted
For continuously used aircraft stands, a permanent lighting system may provide the most appropriate long-term solution. The decision should consider operational frequency, infrastructure costs, maintenance, power availability and future development plans.
Planning Safe Temporary Apron Lighting
Mobile lighting towers can improve apron safety by providing controlled, uniform illumination where fixed floodlighting is unavailable, impractical or temporarily out of service.
They can support safe ground operations during apron expansions, resurfacing projects, emergency situations, remote stand use and temporary aircraft movements.
The most important consideration is not simply how much light a tower produces. A safe and effective solution requires a project-specific lighting design that considers illuminance, uniformity, glare, aircraft size, tower positioning and the wider airside environment.
Midstream Lighting’s Mobile Tower Series combines asymmetric apron floodlights with a transportable mast system. When correctly positioned and supported by an approved lighting design, two towers can provide lighting for a Code E or Code F aircraft stand without the need for permanent foundations or electrical infrastructure.
For a more detailed explanation of when airports should use mobile lighting towers, watch our recent webinar, When Should Airports Use Mobile Lighting Towers for Apron Lighting?