SAE ARP4103A-2019 PDF

Full title and description

St SAE ARP4103A-2019 — Flight Deck Lighting for Commercial Transport Aircraft. This SAE Aerospace Recommended Practice provides recommended design and performance criteria for flight-deck lighting systems used to illuminate controls, displays and flight-deck surfaces that form the flight-deck visual environment (excluding night-vision-compatible applications).

Abstract

ARP4103A (reaffirmed September 17, 2019) defines ergonomic, photometric and functional requirements for flight‑deck lighting to ensure readability, correct color identification and minimization of glare under the full range of ambient conditions (night, twilight, daylight and direct sunlight). The document covers instrument and panel illumination, task and area lighting, dimming and override functions, emergency/standby lighting and guidance for display luminance and contrast to support timely and accurate pilot information transfer.

General information

• Status: Reaffirmed (ARP4103A). Note: a subsequent revision ARP4103B was issued (2025).
• Publication date: September 17, 2019 (reaffirmation of ARP4103A).
• Publisher: SAE International.
• ICS / categories: 49.060 — Aerospace electric equipment and systems (flight‑deck lighting, displays and related electrical/lighting systems).
• Edition / version: ARP4103A (reaffirmed 2019). Revised edition ARP4103B published in 2025 (superseding ARP4103A for many applications).
• Number of pages: 48 pages.

Scope

This recommended practice specifies design and performance criteria for aircraft lighting systems used to illuminate flight‑deck controls, luminous visual displays and flight‑deck background and instrument surfaces for commercial transport aircraft. It is intended to ensure visibility, legibility, color discrimination and safe crew operations across ambient conditions; it excludes applications that require night‑vision‑goggle (NVG/NVIS) compatibility.

Key topics and requirements

• Performance criteria for display and indicator luminance, contrast and chromaticity to ensure readability in dark, twilight and bright sunlight conditions (including guidance on minimum/maximum luminance and dimming ranges).
• Flight‑deck ambient lighting environments and test conditions (examples: dark/night, twilight, typical day, bright forward field of view and transitional sunlight effects such as the “white‑shirt” reflection phenomenon).
• Requirements for area, task and portable lighting (illuminance targets, adjustability and dedicated task lights for charts/manuals).
• Dimming, override (storm/bright) controls and light‑override functions to manage adaptation mismatch and support maintenance/pre‑flight operations.
• Emergency and standby lighting circuit and control requirements (independence, battery backup, cockpit and cabin control considerations).
• Human factors guidance: icon/legend sizing, font/contrast guidance, subtended‑angle/readability metrics and color identification for annunciators and indicators.
• Considerations for LED and modern light sources, HUDs and display types, and guidelines for avoiding reflections/glare and maintaining readability under direct sunlight.
• Test and evaluation recommendations for validating lighting performance across expected operational lighting conditions and for certification evidence.

Typical use and users

ARP4103A is used by aircraft manufacturers (OEMs), cockpit and avionics designers, human‑factors engineers, test laboratories and certification authorities as a recommended practice for developing and validating flight‑deck lighting systems. Airlines, modification centers and maintainers also reference the document when specifying retrofit lighting or cabin‑cockpit lighting modifications.

Related standards

Related guidance and standards include other SAE ARPs and aerospace standards covering displays, cockpit human factors, NVIS/NVG compatibility and lighting test methods as well as regulatory advisory circulars (FAA ACs) referenced for certification considerations. A number of ARP family documents covering pilot visibility, instrument displays and lighting test methods are commonly used alongside ARP4103A/B.

Keywords

flight deck lighting; cockpit lighting; instrument illumination; display luminance; dimming; task lighting; emergency lighting; human factors; NVIS; LED lighting; flight‑deck ergonomics; SAE ARP4103A.

FAQ

Q: What is this standard?

A: ARP4103A is an SAE Aerospace Recommended Practice that gives recommended design and performance criteria for flight‑deck lighting on commercial transport aircraft (reaffirmed September 17, 2019).

Q: What does it cover?

A: It covers instrument and panel illumination, indicator/readability criteria, area and task lighting, dimming and override controls, emergency and standby lighting, human‑factors readability metrics and guidance for testing lighting performance across ambient conditions; it does not apply to NVG/NVIS‑specific lighting without separate NVIS guidance.

Q: Who typically uses it?

A: Aircraft OEMs, avionics and lighting designers, human factors engineers, certification teams and test labs, airlines and modification/retrofit organizations.

Q: Is it current or superseded?

A: ARP4103A was reaffirmed in 2019. A later revision, ARP4103B, was published in 2025; ARP4103B is the revised document that supersedes ARP4103A for the updated/revised requirements where the newer revision is referenced or adopted. Check the issuing body (SAE) for the applicable version to use for compliance or certification.

Q: Is it part of a series?

A: Yes — ARP4103 sits within a family of SAE ARPs addressing flight‑deck environment topics (pilot visibility, displays, lighting, human factors). Related ARPs and SAE documents on cockpit displays, lighting test methods and NVIS compatibility are frequently used together.

Q: What are the key keywords?

A: flight deck lighting, cockpit lighting, instrument luminance, dimming, task lighting, emergency lighting, human factors, SAE ARP4103A/ARP4103B.