MANY THINGS IN AVIATION SEEM OVERCOMPLICATED AT FIRST, BUT ONE THING THAT IS obvious is lighting. You need to see and be seen, which is the purpose of anticollision lights on the aircraft. That red light on the tail is also referred to as a beacon. The flashing lights on the wing tips are called strobes. Their role is to identify you in the air and when your engine is running on the ground. Anticollision lights are required equipment under federal aviation regulation 91.20S(b), and aircraft equipped with them must have them turned on when in operation—with an exception. Because high-intensity strobes could cause spatial disorientation in certain circumstances, the FAA gives the pilot discretion to turn off anticollision lights when it's in the interest of safety, such as when flying in instrument meteorological conditions.
展开▼
