Pilot Director Lights (PDLs) mounted on the exterior of a refueling tanker
aircraft (10) utilize light emitting diodes (LEDs) (213) as a light
source to provide visual information to the pilot of an approaching aircraft (30).
The PDLs may include a plurality of light emitting devices (200) arranged
in arrays (123 and 124), each light emitting device (200)
being configured to illuminate a particular symbol/pattern. Each light emitting
device (200) may include a plurality of modular banks (210) of LEDs
(213), which are configured to emit light through a clear lens (230)
within a particular field of view. The PDL arrays (123 and 124) may
provide visual feedback regarding the elevational and fore-aft position of the
approaching aircraft (30) relative to the boom envelope (14) of the
tanker aircraft (10).