JFK Approach Lights

[eal401]

Hello, all.

Recently, I was flying into JFK at night and, as many of you probably do, I was looking out the window tracking our approach. ,We eventually made what seemed like the final approach from the south over the water. I could see as we banked, the flicker of the approach light strobes. We flew over this short stretch of approach lights and then banked again to the right (heading east) and continued our approach into the airport.

My question is...what did I see? Is there some kind of approach lights that do not lead directly to the runway threshold, but rather to a second set of lights?

[moose135]

Sounds like the Canarsie approach to 13L.

Someone posted a video on YouTube of a night approach:
sZXgIVkI8gQ

Here's a link to a PDF of the approach plate;
http://www.myairplane.com/databases/app ... VG13LR.PDF (http://www.myairplane.com/databases/approach/pdfs/00610VG13LR.PDF)

[T-Bird76]

You were on the Carnarsis approach, the lights line the belt and lead to the final turn to short final for 13L.

[eal401]

That was definitely it. Thanks. I've never seen "lead-in" lights before.

Does that location make for good spotting?

[Idlewild]

Kind of. That area of Canarsie isn't exactly the safest area of NYC. The Canarsie Pier offer a bottom to top of view of the bellies and that makes it hard to see which airline passes overhead unless you're a whiz at under markings, or you have a pair of binoculars to use when the planes bank right for final a few miles down. This might change however when the converted garbage dumps open by Pennsylvania Avenue. I would try the Starbucks on Cross Bay Blvd. in Howard Beach when the planes land on the 13's.