Currently, there are more than 5,000 general aviation airports throughout the United States. Operating without specific general aviation lighting guidelines, these airports must rely on commercial aviation lighting standards with infrastructure requirements typically beyond their scope and budget. Most general aviation airports must therefore rely on retro reflective markers in the absence of landing and taxiway lights, which both impedes the service provided by these airports and increases their exposure to runway incursions.
This current field trial is a follow up to the test carried out by the FAA and the Illuminating Engineering Society Airport Lighting Committee (IESALC) at a general aviation airport in Shelton, WA in March 2003. During this test, general aviation pilots tested the effectiveness of Carmanah's solar-powered LED lighting technology versus traditional retro reflective markers. The decision was unanimously in favour of Carmanah's solar-powered LED lighting.