Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Flight Crew Commercial; Flight Crew Flight Instructor
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 110; Flight Crew Total 620; Flight Crew Type 600
Situational Awareness; Training / Qualification; Distraction
Inflight Event / Encounter Other / Unknown
Flight Crew Became Reoriented
Environment - Non Weather Related
During a circling approach to [Runway] 7L from Runway 16; the lights from the nearby racetrack point directly up to the sky as the aircraft is circling to the runway. The bright lights shining on the stadium can be disorienting and can make it very difficult for the pilot to find the runway if flying directly over or slightly north of the stadium. This is well within the protected airspace during the circle to land approach. Oftentimes I teach my students to ask ATC to turn the runway lights up to make it easier to identify the runway. This is due to the night vision being ruined by the bright stadium lights just below the aircraft that gets reflected by the wing into the flight deck. In addition it seems that the runway lights at night are always set to the lowest setting for energy conservation. Instructors are known for teaching students to identify the nearby newly installed bright blue LEDs for the taxiway edge lights to help find where the runway is. With respect to [FAR] 91.175; this is not a legal way to identify the runway environment and therefore not a good way to teach students how to go below MDA/DA on an instrument approach to landing. However; some instructors feel that this is the only way to teach to avoid putting an extra burden on ATC when they are busy. Although every time I have asked ATC to do this they are very helpful; there seems to be a mentality of not wanting to have to rely on ATC to do this; especially when they are busy. Some students have real difficulty finding the runway and in IMC at night in low visibility these lights from the stadium could make it impossible to find the runway during a circle to land approach. The taxiway edge lights are brighter than the runway edge lights at night now that the newly designed taxiway lights are being installed. This is not where the priority should be; the priority should be placed on runway environment identification assistance. In addition; the elevated runway guard lights are very bright at night. During run-up checks; aircraft park on one half of the taxiway to put as many aircraft as possible into the taxiway to increase efficiency. Although the lights make it very clear that a runway is just ahead; at night these lights can be blinding and can ruin night vision to see and avoid traffic immediately after departure as they are right near where the run up checks are done and are pointed directly into the flight deck. The idea that putting big bright lights near a runway intersection makes sense but the lights should have a dimmer setting at night to avoid decreasing the night vision of the pilots holding short of the runway.Approaching Runway 25R at night; the sequenced flashing light most near the runway threshold is much brighter than the others on the MALSR. Its flash appears like a non-directional flash unlike the others which can be distracting when approaching the runway to land at night.
Pilot reported unsafe flight condition due to racetrack lights pointing directly into the sky disorienting the pilot.