During pier side PALS testing with no intent to land, PALS approaches may not be conducted with the OLS on and the LSO platform not manned. True or False?

• A. True
• B. Not applicable
• C. False
• D. Unknown

Answer: (C)

Understanding pier-side PALS testing involves knowing what needs to be active to simulate an approach without actually landing. The optical landing system (OLS) provides the glide-path cues used by PALS, so having the OLS on is essential for the test. The Landing Signal Officer (LSO) platform is used to control and signal aircraft during real landings, but if there’s no intent to land, there’s no requirement to have the LSO on the platform. In that setup—the OLS on and the LSO unmanned—you can still conduct PALS approaches to verify the guidance signals and system function without engaging a live landing operation. Therefore, the statement that this scenario may not be conducted is not correct; the test can proceed under these conditions.