A B737-300 CREW; AFTER LNDG AT ILM; REALIZED THE HIRL FOR RWY 35-17 WAS NOT ILLUMINATED.

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ARRIVING ILM AFTER TWR CLOSED WITH NE WINDS ABOUT 8 KTS; NO APCH IS AVAILABLE FOR RWYS 6/24. AFTER FLYING OVER THE FIELD AND ATTEMPTING TO ACTIVATE THE RWY LIGHTS; THE ONLY LIGHTS VISIBLE WERE THE APCH LIGHTS TO RWY 35 ILS. THE PREFERRED WAS RWY 17/35 -- THE ONE WITH AN INST APCH; NOT AN UNFAMILIAR RWY AT NIGHT WITH THE TWR CLOSED. WE LINED UP ON ILS RWY 35 WITH THE APCH LIGHTS BRIGHT AND THE VASI AVAILABLE. THINKING THE RWY EDGE LIGHTS WERE DIM; WE HAD ALMOST TOUCHED DOWN WHEN WE REALIZED THE RWY EDGE LIGHTS WERE NOT DIM BUT NOT ON. SEEING THE RWY CLRLY WITH OUR LNDG LIGHTS WE ELECTED TO LAND; THAT BEING THE SAFEST OPTION AT THAT POINT. THE NEXT DAY WE FOUND THAT THE WIND FAVORABLE RWY IS THE ONLY RWY WITH THE RWY LIGHTS LEFT ON WHEN THE TWR CLOSES. IN OUR CASE RWY 6/24 WITH NO INST APCH AVAILABLE WAS THE ONLY RWY THAT COULD BE PLT CTLED; ALTHOUGH THE APCH LIGHTS FOR ILS RWY 35 COULD BE CTLED. IF THE WX DETERIORATES; NO LNDG LIGHTS ARE AVAILABLE FOR THE ONLY RWY WITH AN INST APCH. ALSO; CIRCLING APCHS ARE NOT PERMITTED UNLESS THE WX IS BETTER THAN 1000 FT 3 MI. NOT BEING PROFICIENT IN CIRCLING APCHS IS A GOOD REASON TO PREFER AN INST APCH; ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT. ILM SHOULD HAVE PLT CTLED LIGHTING FOR ALL RWYS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH AN ILM ARPT OFFICIAL REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: WHEN THE TWR CLOSES AT 2300 FT; RWY 17/35 IS THE ONLY RWY WITH REMOTE CTLED LIGHTING. ACTIVATING THE SYS IS ACCOMPLISHED BY TUNING IN THE TWR FREQ AND KEYING THE MIKE. 3 CLICKS OF THE MIKE WILL BRING THE HIRL TO A #3 INTENSITY. KEYING A 4TH AND 5TH TIME STEPS UP THE INTENSITY; WITH #5 BEING THE HIGHEST. FURTHER KEYING OF THE MIKE DOES NOT INCREASE THE INTENSITY FURTHER NOR DOES IT TURN THE LIGHTS OFF. IT WAS ALSO EXPLAINED THAT IN ADDITION TO RWY 17/35 HIRL COMING ON; THE MALSR TO RWY 35; THE REIL FOR RWY 24; AND TXWY A LIGHTS ARE ALSO ILLUMINATED. THE VASI FOR RWYS 6; 24; AND 17; ALONG WITH THE PAPI TO RWY 35 ARE ON CONTINUOUSLY. THE LIGHTS AUTOMATICALLY EXTINGUISH 15 MINS AFTER THE FIRST KEYING OF THE MIKE. RELIGHTING IS ACCOMPLISHED BY STARTING THE PROCESS OVER AGAIN. WHEN WX DICTATES; RWY 6/24 HIRL WILL BE TURNED ON BY TWR PERSONNEL. LIGHTING OP IS CHKED DAILY BY MAINT.