Aircraft Detection Lighting Systems (ADLS) are sensor-based systems designed to detect aircraft as they approach an obstruction or group of obstructions; these systems automatically activate the appropriate obstruction lights until they are no longer needed by the aircraft. This technology reduces the impact of nighttime lighting on nearby communities and migratory birds and extends the life expectancy of obstruction lights.

The system should be designed with sufficient sensors to provide complete detection coverage for aircraft that enter a three-dimensional volume of airspace, or coverage area, around the obstruction(s)

The ADLS should activate the obstruction lighting system in sufficient time to allow the lights to illuminate and synchronize to flash simultaneously prior to an aircraft penetrating the volume defined above. The lights should remain on for a specific time period.