Airplanes are equipped with several different types of lights. In addition to landing lights, for instance, they feature anti-collision lights. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requires all airplanes to have them. What are anti-collision lights exactly, and how do they work?
What Are Anti-Collision Lights?
Anti-collision lights are designed to minimize the risk of collisions. Also known as beacon or strobe lights — depending on the specific type — they consist of exterior-mounted light bulbs that produce illumination.
Collisions involving two or more airplanes are rare, but they can still occur. Pilots today now rely heavily on computer-based navigation systems. If one of these systems fails, the pilot may unknowingly enter the path of another airplane. Collisions, of course, aren’t limited to the air, either. There are far more collisions, in fact, that occur on the runway than in the air. Anti-collision lights minimize the risk of collisions such as these by increasing the visibility of airplanes.
How Anti-Collision Lights Work
There are two different types of anti-collision lights: beacon and strobe. Beacon anti-collision lights are always red. They are found at the top of the fuselage and the bottom of the fuselage. Beacon anti-collision lights are visible to the ground crew. When airplanes are taking off or landing, ground crew will see these red-colored lights. Beacon- anti-collision lights are designed to flash, making them easy to spot.
Strobe anti-collision lights are always white. They are found on the sides of airplanes and, on some airplanes, the back. Of all the different types of lights on airplanes, strobe anti-collision are the brightest. They will quickly flash while creating a strobe effect.
Airplanes won’t use their strobe anti-collision lights all the time. Rather, they may be turned off so that pilots can see more easily. If there’s severe fog, for instance, the pilot may turn off the airplane’s strobe anti-collision lights.
Because they are the brightest lights on airplanes, strobe anti-collision lights can reduce visibility in foggy conditions. Fog is the result of airborne moisture vapor. With the strobe anti-collision lights turned on, these bright lights will reflect off the moisture particles, thus making it difficult for pilots to see. Some pilots may run them all the time, but many will temporarily turn off the strobe anti-collision when flying through fog.
In Conclusion
Airplanes are equipped with multiple collision avoidance measures, including anti-collision lights. While they all consist of light bulbs, anti-collision lights are designed specifically to minimize the risk of collisions.
