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Obstruction lighting

Obstruction Lighting

A dark tower is an FAA violation and a liability. L-810 side markers, L-864 red beacons, L-865 white strobes, dual systems, LED retrofits, photocell and controller repair, and emergency NOTAM-response climbs. Per FAA AC 70/7460-1M, per 14 CFR Part 77, documented every visit.

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Current FAA lighting standard
AC 70/7460-1M
Outage reporting deadline
NOTAM 30 min
Systems we install and repair
Dual red/white
Service area
Lower 48

What's included.

The full scope of obstruction-lighting work, from an emergency NOTAM-response climb on a failed beacon to a full LED retrofit across a fleet of towers.

  • Emergency NOTAM-response climbs for failed beacons, strobes, or side markers
  • L-810 red side-marker light install, repair, and replacement (steady-burn 32 cd)
  • L-864 red flashing beacon install and repair (night-only 2,000 cd)
  • L-865 white medium-intensity flashing strobe install and repair (day/twilight 20,000 cd, night 2,000 cd)
  • L-856 / L-857 high-intensity white strobes for structures over 700 ft (day 270,000 cd)
  • L-866 / L-885 dual red and white combined systems
  • Full LED retrofit of legacy incandescent systems (Hughey & Phillips, Flash Technology, Dialight, Drake, Unimar, SPX Flash)
  • Photocell install, replacement, and sensitivity calibration
  • Lighting controller and alarm-contact replacement at the ground cabinet
  • Remote monitoring integration (NOMS / alarm-contact bridging to your NOC)
  • Pulse-per-second timing on dual-system sites where synchronized flash is required
  • Wiring inspection, conductor replacement, and weatherhead repair
  • Surge protection and bonding of the lighting plant to the tower ground ring
  • FAA / FCC ASR registration verification and lighting-spec confirmation
  • NOTAM filing coordination with the FAA Flight Service on outage and restoration
  • Documentation: as-built lighting plan, lamp-type register, and post-repair photo record

Need obstruction lighting on a real deadline?

Send your site details. We come back with a quote, a crew, and a schedule.

Request a Quote (763) 280-6050

An unlit tower is a NOTAM waiting to happen.

If your tower is over 200 ft AGL, or if it’s inside an FAA Part 77 imaginary surface near an airport, the FAA has told you in writing how it needs to be lit. The rule is 14 CFR Part 77 for which structures need to be marked and lit. The how is FAA AC 70/7460-1M, the 2023 advisory circular that supersedes the old 70/7460-1L that a lot of existing plants were built to.

When a light fails, you have 30 minutes to file a NOTAM with FAA Flight Service. The clock runs until the light is restored or the structure is re-illuminated by an alternate system. That’s the compliance clock. The liability clock is shorter. A blacked-out tower near a flight path is the kind of problem that becomes somebody else’s case study in a federal register.

Vertical Axis rolls obstruction-lighting crews today. Scheduled replacement, emergency NOTAM climbs, full fleet LED retrofits, and dual red/white system installs on structures that outgrew their original lighting. Field-experienced across Hughey & Phillips, Flash Technology, Dialight, Drake, and Unimar. Documented per FAA spec, delivered with the paperwork your ASR auditor needs.

The lighting catalog, plain-English.

Obstruction lighting is a lettered-designator system. Here is what actually sits on your tower:

  • L-810. Red steady-burn side-marker lights. 32 candela minimum. Mounted at intermediate elevations on any structure over ~200 ft. These are the little red dots you see on guy lines and at mid-height on a monopole.
  • L-864. Red flashing beacon. 2,000 cd, night-only. The classic red “strobe” on top of older lit structures. Cheap to install, invisible during the day (which is why it’s often paired with paint instead of daytime lighting).
  • L-865. White medium-intensity flashing strobe. 20,000 cd daytime and twilight, 2,000 cd at night. The white-only alternative that replaces the need to paint the tower aviation orange and white.
  • L-864 / L-865 dual. Combined red-night, white-day system. You get the softer red glow at night (neighbor-friendly) and the bright white strobe during the day (no paint required).
  • L-856 / L-857. High-intensity white strobes for structures above 700 ft. 270,000 cd daytime. Required on the tallest guyed towers and broadcast structures.
  • L-866 / L-885. Newer dual-mode and catenary-specific designators under the current AC.

The right system depends on the structure height, the location, and whether you want to paint the tower. We work from your ASR filing and the stamped lighting plan. If you don’t have one, we’ll build one against AC 70/7460-1M and your tower’s actual AGL and AMSL.

LED retrofits are how you stop climbing twice a year.

A legacy incandescent beacon runs a PAR-56 1,620 W lamp that typically lasts 4,000 to 8,000 hours. On a 24/7 duty cycle, that’s roughly 6 to 11 months before it burns and you’re filing a NOTAM. Lamps also fail without warning. The first time you know is when the remote monitor trips or the neighbor calls.

LED beacon and strobe modules run 100,000+ hours. That’s 11+ years of 24/7 operation, typically with graceful degradation rather than hard failure. For a fleet of lit towers, the math is easy:

  • Fewer NOTAM-response climbs per year
  • Lower power draw (one third to one fifth of an incandescent beacon)
  • Better remote-monitoring telemetry (most LED controllers report per-module health, not just “on/off”)
  • No PAR-56 lamp inventory to manage

Retrofit kits exist for nearly every legacy platform: Hughey & Phillips Flash 1000 and FTS 2700, Flash Technology FTS 371 and FTB 224, Drake light systems, Dialight RTO/RTR. We install the correct retrofit module, verify the controller supports the LED duty cycle, and certify the installation to AC 70/7460-1M photometric requirements.

Fleet retrofits pay back on avoided climb labor. We’ll model your fleet’s annual lamp-replacement labor, the NOTAM-response exposure, and the projected LED-retrofit payback as part of scoping. Most owners find the payback lands between 2 and 4 years on a 20+ tower fleet.

NOTAM response. Monitoring. Documentation.

The compliance workflow for a lit tower has three legs:

1. Monitoring. The lighting plant needs to tell someone when it fails. At minimum that’s an alarm contact at the ground cabinet tied to an autodialer or a remote-monitoring bridge. On modern sites it’s a NOMS-compatible telemetry feed to your NOC. We install or integrate both.

2. NOTAM filing. When a top-mounted beacon fails, or when the monitoring system reports a light out, a NOTAM must be filed with FAA Flight Service within 30 minutes of the failure. We coordinate with your network ops or file directly (ASR registration number in hand) on your behalf, then re-file to cancel the NOTAM once the light is restored.

3. Restoration documentation. Every repair or replacement comes with photos, the lamp or module serial number, the measured post-repair photometric output where applicable, and a signed service report. Your ASR audit package, your insurance file, and your successor contractor all have what they need.

Emergency response: obstruction-lighting climbs are part of our standard storm-response and 24-hour on-call rotation. Crews running out of Alabama and Texas typically mobilize within 24 hours for a NOTAM-open site in the lower 48.

Red obstruction beacon glowing at dusk on a guyed tower

How it goes.

A routine lamp-replacement or photocell service visit runs half a day on-site. A full LED retrofit runs 1 to 2 days per tower. Emergency NOTAM response is same-day-plus-travel.

1

Scoping and ASR review

We pull your ASR registration, the stamped lighting plan (if you have one), and any recent service history. If the site has no current lighting plan, we build one against FAA AC 70/7460-1M and the tower’s actual AGL and AMSL. Scope comes back with a line item per light, per lamp, and per controller component.

2

Parts staging

Correct lamps, LED modules, or full beacon heads on the truck. For legacy Hughey & Phillips, Flash Technology, Drake, Dialight, Unimar, and SPX Flash systems, we carry common retrofit inventory as rolling stock. For less common platforms, parts ordered and pre-tested on-site before the crew climbs.

3

Ground-side service

Lighting controller, photocell, alarm contacts, and conductor inspection done at the cabinet before any climb. A lot of reported ‘beacon failures’ are actually a tripped controller, a failed photocell, or a corroded alarm contact. Ground-side service first saves climb time and finds root cause.

4

Climb and light service

Side markers, beacons, and strobes inspected, cleaned, and repaired or replaced per the scope. Lamps changed or LED modules swapped. Weatherheads, pigtails, and drain holes verified. Every lamp or module photographed with serial before and after the work.

5

Photometric verification

On LED retrofits and full-head replacements, we verify the installed system’s photometric output meets AC 70/7460-1M for the designator (L-810, L-864, L-865, etc.). Dual-system sync timing verified where the spec calls for synchronized flash between beacon and side markers.

6

NOTAM cancel and documentation

If a NOTAM was open for the outage, we coordinate the cancellation with FAA Flight Service once the light is restored and tested. Service report delivered: lamp/module serials, photometric verification where applicable, photos of the repair, and updated lighting-plan markup.

Climber replacing a beacon lamp at the top of an obstruction-lit tower

Built to standard. Lit to code.

Every obstruction-lighting install, repair, and retrofit is held to the current FAA and FCC framework your ASR was registered against.

FAA AC 70/7460-1M

Current FAA advisory circular (2023) for obstruction marking and lighting. Supersedes 70/7460-1L. Specifies the lettered-designator system (L-810, L-864, L-865, L-856, L-857, L-866, L-885), photometric output requirements, and dual-system configurations. The baseline for every install we do.

14 CFR Part 77

Federal rule for which structures must be marked and lit. Applies to structures over 200 ft AGL and structures inside the Part 77 imaginary surfaces around airports. We verify every site against current Part 77 before we touch the lighting plan.

FCC ASR registration

Antenna Structure Registration. Every lit tower has an ASR number, and the lighting spec on the ASR filing is the binding requirement for that site. We confirm the filed spec matches the installed plant on every visit and flag drift.

NOTAM compliance (Part 17)

FCC Part 17 mirrors the FAA Part 77 requirement. Outage notification to FAA Flight Service within 30 minutes. We coordinate the filing and the post-repair cancellation on every emergency response.

Manufacturer specifications

Lighting plants installed and serviced per the manufacturer’s current published spec. Hughey & Phillips, Flash Technology, Dialight, Drake, Unimar, SPX Flash. LED retrofit modules certified against the OEM controller before going into service.

NEC Article 810 / NFPA 70

National Electrical Code for conductors, grounding, and bonding of the lighting plant. Every lit system bonded to the tower ground ring, with surge protection at the cabinet entry and at the top-of-run where the spec calls for it.

NFPA 780

Lightning protection. Lighting plants are a common lightning target. Surge suppressors on the feed and at the top of run, bonded through the tower grounding system, installed per NFPA 780.

OSHA 1926 / ANSI A10.48

Safety at height. 100% tie-off, authorized rescue, site-specific safety plan on every climb, including emergency NOTAM-response climbs.

Gear & certifications.

Equipment

  • LED retrofit module inventory for Hughey & Phillips, Flash Technology, Dialight, Drake, Unimar, and SPX Flash platforms
  • Common incandescent lamp inventory (PAR-56, PAR-38, A21) for legacy side markers and beacons
  • Photometers and calibrated light meters for post-retrofit output verification
  • Photocells, controllers, and alarm-contact spares for immediate ground-side swap
  • Climb team with 100% tie-off and authorized rescue on every crew
  • Surge suppressors, conductor, and bonding hardware for feed-line remediation
  • FAA Flight Service direct-filing capability on NOTAM outage and cancellation
  • Self-contained crew trailers: climb gear, lamp and module inventory, tooling, and spares

Certifications & insurance

  • NATE ClimberSafe and SafetyLMS-certified climbers
  • Platform-experienced installers on Hughey & Phillips and Flash Technology platforms
  • FAA Part 77 / AC 70/7460-1M working familiarity on every lead technician
  • OSHA 10 / 30 compliant
  • Fully insured: general liability and workers’ compensation

Questions we get a lot.

When does my tower need obstruction lighting?

Two triggers under federal rule:

  1. Height. Structures over 200 ft AGL default to lighting and marking requirements under 14 CFR Part 77.
  2. Proximity to airports. Structures inside the Part 77 imaginary surfaces (typically within a few miles of a public-use airport, with sloped and conical surfaces extending further out) may require lighting at much lower heights.

If your tower is registered on an FCC ASR with a lighting spec, that spec is the binding requirement regardless of height. When in doubt, we run a Part 77 check against your site coordinates as part of scoping.

What's the difference between L-810, L-864, and L-865?

They’re different lighting designators under FAA AC 70/7460-1M:

  • L-810. Red steady-burn side markers, 32 cd minimum. Mounted at mid-height on a tall structure. These are the intermediate red dots, not the top beacon.
  • L-864. Red flashing beacon, 2,000 cd, night only. Classic red “flasher” on top of an older lit structure. Typically paired with aviation-orange-and-white paint for daytime marking.
  • L-865. White medium-intensity flashing strobe, 20,000 cd daytime / 2,000 cd nighttime. The white-only alternative that replaces daytime painting.

Beyond those three, AC 70/7460-1M also covers L-856 and L-857 (high-intensity white for structures over 700 ft), L-866/L-885 (newer dual-mode and catenary designators), and combined L-864/L-865 dual systems.

What is a dual red and white lighting system?
A combined L-864 (red night) and L-865 (white day) system. You get the softer red flash at night, which is less intrusive to neighbors near the tower, and the bright white strobe during the day, which satisfies the daytime marking requirement without painting the tower aviation orange and white. Common on monopoles in suburban or residential settings where tower paint isn’t acceptable aesthetically.
How fast do I have to report a light outage?

30 minutes. Under FCC Part 17 and FAA guidance, a lighting outage on a registered structure has to be reported to FAA Flight Service within 30 minutes of the failure. The NOTAM stays active until the light is restored or an alternate system is energized.

We either coordinate the filing with your NOC, or file directly on your behalf if you have the ASR number on hand and we have a standing authorization. Either way, we cancel the NOTAM the same way once the repair is verified.

Do you do emergency NOTAM-response climbs?
Yes. Obstruction-lighting emergencies are part of our standard 24-hour on-call rotation. Crews running out of Alabama and Texas typically mobilize within 24 hours for a NOTAM-open site in the lower 48. For same-day response in the southeastern US, we can often have a climber on site within 6 to 10 hours of the call.
Should I retrofit my incandescent lighting to LED?

For most owners with more than 3 to 5 lit towers, yes. The math usually works out. Incandescent obstruction lamps last 4,000 to 8,000 hours (roughly 6 to 11 months on 24/7 duty). LED modules last 100,000+ hours (11+ years). Every lamp replacement avoided is a climb and a NOTAM-response exposure avoided.

LED retrofit kits exist for nearly every legacy platform:

  • Hughey & Phillips Flash 1000, FTS 2700, FTR/FAS series
  • Flash Technology FTS 371, FTB 224, OL1, OL2
  • Dialight RTO and RTR beacon series
  • Drake obstruction lighting systems
  • Unimar and SPX Flash platforms

Scoping includes the retrofit kit, any controller work needed to support the LED duty cycle, and photometric verification. Fleet-scale retrofits typically pay back in 2 to 4 years on avoided climb labor alone.

What lighting brands do you work on?

Deep service experience across:

  • Hughey & Phillips. Flash 1000, FTS 2700, and the FTR / FAS side-marker series. Field-experienced install and retrofit.
  • Flash Technology (a Dialight company). FTS 371, FTB 224, OL series medium-intensity beacons.
  • Dialight. RTO / RTR red beacons, white-only RTW series, side markers.
  • Drake Lighting. Legacy incandescent and newer LED beacon systems.
  • Unimar. Side-marker and beacon plants common on older installs.
  • SPX Flash. Legacy systems still in service on older broadcast and utility structures.

If your platform isn’t on that list, we’ll learn it. The install fundamentals (photometric output, controller sync, duty cycle, grounding) are the same brand to brand.

Can you install a monitoring system that reports outages automatically?
Yes. We install standalone alarm-contact autodialers at the cabinet for smaller sites, and NOMS-compatible telemetry bridges for fleet owners whose NOC already aggregates tower alarms. The automatic notification cuts outage-to-NOTAM time from hours (someone eventually notices) to minutes (the monitor trips the moment the light fails), which is the difference between routine compliance and an FCC inquiry.
What if my tower isn't on an ASR but is over 200 ft?
Then it should be on an ASR, and we’ll flag that during scoping. The FCC requires Antenna Structure Registration for most lit structures, and an unregistered lit tower is its own compliance problem. We’ll coordinate the ASR filing with your attorney or filings agent before we commission the lighting plant, or we can run the filing directly if you’d like to route it through us.
Do you do full lighting plant replacements?
Yes. Full top-head replacements, side-marker plant replacements, cabinet controller swaps, and conductor re-pulls are all in scope. For structures with deeply corroded original hardware or prior storm damage, a full plant replacement is often cheaper than chasing individual component failures. Scoping will include both options, line-itemed, so you can see the trade.
How long does a typical lighting service visit take?
  • Routine lamp replacement or side-marker service: half-day on a typical 200 to 300 ft tower.
  • Full LED retrofit (top beacon and side markers): 1 to 2 days per tower.
  • Full plant replacement (controller, conductor, top head, side markers): 2 to 4 days.
  • Emergency NOTAM-response climb: same-day-plus-travel.

Weather (lightning, ice, high wind) sets the schedule more than scope size. Lighting work doesn’t tolerate a weather window the way a cable pull does.

How much does this kind of work cost?

Fixed fee on defined scope, with unit rates and change orders for field conditions. Quoted against tower height, scope, and access. Rough ranges:

  • Emergency NOTAM-response climb with lamp replacement: low four figures per visit.
  • Routine annual lighting service (inspect, clean, replace consumables): low four figures.
  • LED retrofit of a single tower (top beacon and side markers): mid four to low five figures per tower, depending on platform and height.
  • Full plant replacement: mid five figures per tower.
  • Fleet LED-retrofit program (10 to 50+ towers): program-rate per tower, quoted against the fleet scope.

Send us the site and you’ll have a line-itemed quote inside a week.

Do you coordinate with my insurance auditor or ASR filings agent?
Yes. Every service report includes the lamp or module serials, photometric verification where applicable, photos, and an updated lighting-plan markup. Your ASR filings agent, your insurance auditor, and your successor contractor all have what they need. For fleet owners under active insurance review, we can rotate through the portfolio on a documented annual or biannual schedule that satisfies most carrier requirements.
What's your service area?
Lower 48 states. Crews running out of Alabama and Texas ready to roll today, with nationwide mobilization typically within 48 hours. For emergency NOTAM response, same-day mobilization in most of the southeastern US and 24-hour mobilization elsewhere.
How do I get started?

Send us the tower site (address or coordinates or ASR number), the tower height and type, and the reason for the visit (routine service, NOTAM response, LED retrofit, or full plant replacement).

Request a quote here or call us at (763) 280-6050. Routine work typically quoted inside a week. Emergency NOTAM response quoted the same day.

Don’t see your question? Ask us directly. We answer every scoping call.

Related services.

Maintenance & Inspection

Inspections, repairs, and post-storm response for a 20-year asset.

Tower Painting

FAA-marked aviation orange and white, re-coats, and rust abatement.

Plumb & Tension

Verify plumb, tension guys, correct storm-displaced structures.

Tower Modifications

Antenna swaps, coax and Heliax replacement, load-bearing upgrades.

Decommissioning

Full teardown, equipment salvage, foundation removal, and FCC / FAA closeout.

Tell us the site.
We'll bring the steel.

Send the location, tower type, scope, and timeline. We come back with a quote, a crew, and a schedule you can build a business around.

Request a Quote (763) 280-6050