Strobe light setup

By Had Robinson
update January 16, 2025

The purpose of a strobe light for ultralights is to be seen by other nearby aircraft when operating during the twilight periods (30) minutes before sunrise and (30) minutes after sunset.  These lights are to be visible for (3) miles.  Some ultralights do not have alternator and battery systems so the strobe is often battery powered.  As a result, they minimally meet the requirements for visibility.

What can pilots do make these inexpensive battery powered lights more visible?  One of the most important things is to be sure it is visible a full 360 degrees.  Pinning the strobe to the harness guarantees that it will not be seen from at least 1/2 of all possible directions.  Instead, it should be hung from the harness.  Attaching it to the top of the cage works but it becomes a trap for glider lines which can damage or tear off the strobe.

The  commonly available strobe in the photo below can be hung from the harness with a simple modification.  Drilll two small holes in the bottom flange of the strobe case.  Thread about 20" of some narrow Dyneema through the holes and secure with a bowline.  Tie the other end to an inexpensive karabiner.  The strobe can be stored in a side pocket until needed.  When it is deployed, it is well below the seat and your legs and is visible a full 360 degrees.  Do not forget to return the strobe to the pocket or flip it over an upper part of your harness when landing.  If you do not do this, your strobe could be damaged or even get whacked by the propeller.

A much better option is to purchase a high quality strobe or strobe system that is also visible during daylight.  It can be easily mounted to the top of your helmet.  The one pictured below is available from Miniplane-USA.  There are advanced models available which consist of multiple strobes that are connected by Bluetooth (master-slave).  The additional strobes can be placed in the paraglider wing-tips.