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Purpose
The REIL system has three major functions. It quickly and positively identifies the end of the runway, which is surrounded by a variety of other lights at night, particularly runways in urban areas. REILs help to distinguish a runway that lacks contrast with the surrounding terrain; this is often the case at small airports in undeveloped areas. Last, runway end identifier lights identify the runway during periods of reduced visibility, such as foggy or rainy periods.
Elements
A typical runway end indicator light system consists of two strobe lights synchronized to flash in unison. REIL lights may be unidirectional or omnidirectional. They are mounted on the end corners of the runway, at an upward angle of 10 to 15 degrees and facing the approach area of the airspace.
Range and Intensity
REIL lights have three intensity settings that can be adjusted according to prevailing visibility conditions. The approximate range of a REIL is 3 miles in daylight and 20 miles at night.
Control
Operation of runway end indicator lights varies according to the airport where they are installed. They may be operated by controllers in the control tower or energized manually by an individual at the power cabinet near the runway. At airports without control, REIL may be switched on remotely by approaching pilots using radio control, or the lights may illuminate whenever the runway edge lights are turned on at scheduled times each day by a timer.