GESchwarz
Well-Known Member
I have been thinking a lot about how best to avoid a midair collision, and how to be found if I’m ever forced down in the wilderness.
I’ve been observing airplanes in flight at a distance and have noticed some things...
A white airplane will appear dark on all those areas that are shaded fom the sun.
A darkly painted plane contrasts better against the sky than a light colored plane.
A light color contrasts better against terain, except snow, than a dark color.
Landing lights are highly visible from a great distance in daylight, but only from straight ahead. Strobes are not as visible at a great distance in daylight, but can be seen from any direction.
Because I want a U.S. Navy paint scheme, their training colors are a natural choice for my high visibility requirement. White tends to take on the color of the atmosphere at a great distance and is not as visible as yellow or day-glow orange in contrast with colors in terrain. Granite is basically a white rock.
Because dark colors constrast better against the light sky and light colors contrast better against the relatively dark ground, it would make sense to paint the top of the plane light and the bottom dark. Orange is darker than yellow, so I’m thinking yellow top surfaces and orange undersides. And because I may crash land upside down, and because various lighting conditions may drastically alter the way a color may contrast with it’s background, make the tips of the opposite color, so that there is always a high contrast under any condition.
My training in the arts has taught me that white takes on the the color of it's light source. Because the atmosphere is blue, white will appear blue in the shade. That's why white blends into the sky on it's shaded side. Actually all colors are tinted by their light source.
Black or any other really dark color contrasts well against the sky, even at a great distance. That makes me wonder why our WWII navy fighters were painted dark blue. Just the other day I saw a dark blue Bearcat at a great distance and it was highly visible, far more so than a white plane would be at the same distance.
What do you guys know about the use of color and lights to avoid midair collisions and to be seen on the ground in the wilderness?
I’ve been observing airplanes in flight at a distance and have noticed some things...
A white airplane will appear dark on all those areas that are shaded fom the sun.
A darkly painted plane contrasts better against the sky than a light colored plane.
A light color contrasts better against terain, except snow, than a dark color.
Landing lights are highly visible from a great distance in daylight, but only from straight ahead. Strobes are not as visible at a great distance in daylight, but can be seen from any direction.
Because I want a U.S. Navy paint scheme, their training colors are a natural choice for my high visibility requirement. White tends to take on the color of the atmosphere at a great distance and is not as visible as yellow or day-glow orange in contrast with colors in terrain. Granite is basically a white rock.
Because dark colors constrast better against the light sky and light colors contrast better against the relatively dark ground, it would make sense to paint the top of the plane light and the bottom dark. Orange is darker than yellow, so I’m thinking yellow top surfaces and orange undersides. And because I may crash land upside down, and because various lighting conditions may drastically alter the way a color may contrast with it’s background, make the tips of the opposite color, so that there is always a high contrast under any condition.
My training in the arts has taught me that white takes on the the color of it's light source. Because the atmosphere is blue, white will appear blue in the shade. That's why white blends into the sky on it's shaded side. Actually all colors are tinted by their light source.
Black or any other really dark color contrasts well against the sky, even at a great distance. That makes me wonder why our WWII navy fighters were painted dark blue. Just the other day I saw a dark blue Bearcat at a great distance and it was highly visible, far more so than a white plane would be at the same distance.
What do you guys know about the use of color and lights to avoid midair collisions and to be seen on the ground in the wilderness?
