What Is an Aviation Warning Light?
Most vehicles are equipped with some type of warning lights. These lights can include break lights, hazard lights, turn signals and emergency lights (siren lights). However, people do not travel just by vehicle. They also travel by plane, and at night (and even sometimes during the day), tall structures and other planes can be difficult for pilots to spot. To prevent planes from running into each other and the tall structures, aviation warning lights are used.
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Definition
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Aviation warning lights are lights that are placed on any tall structure (200 feet or taller). Their purpose is to prevent collisions between aircraft and structures. Warning lights also are placed on aircraft themselves to prevent planes from hitting each other. They generally come in two colors: red and white.
Red Lights
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Red warning lights typically are used at night because they do not blend in with background lighting as easily as white lights. They are recommended for use in urban areas. These red warning lights use either incandescent filament bulbs or red LEDs. They typically run on a cycle; they are not on continually but rather are on according to a set sequence of time. They can be either beacons or strobe lights.
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White Lights
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White lights are used more often during the day. They come in both medium intensity and high intensity and typically are strobe lights. Medium-intensity lights are placed on structures between 200 and 500 feet in height, while high-intensity lights are put on structures taller than 500 feet. Both types cycle about 40 times a minute, except for white strobes that warn of power lines. Those strobes cycle 60 times a minute.
Aircraft Lights
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Aviation warning lights on planes are particularly useful around airports, as they allow pilots to see each other in the air and allow controllers and dispatchers to spot the aircraft from the ground. Standard protocol requires that planes include landing, strobe and wingtip lights. The right wing has a green light, and the left has a red one. This helps those who see the aircraft identify its positioning even while it is in the air.
Location
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Aviation warning lights are found most commonly on radio station towers. They also can be found on water towers, skyscrapers or specialized structures such as the Statue of Liberty or the Eiffel Tower. There are specific regulations regarding where and how to place aviation warning lights on the individual structures.
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