On more than one occasion, we have seen aircraft, especially at night, make themselves visible with a miscellany of lights, some of them fixed and some of them flashing. The resulting eye-catching ensemble may look like an exercise in randomness, but each of these lights has a mission and a concrete reason.
The importance of aircraft exterior lighting lies in the fact that it has a dual function: see and be seen.
The type of light, its location and the procedures for its use may vary depending on the type of aircraft and the company operating it. In addition, not all are mandatory.
In this infographics we take a look at the most common exterior lights on commercial aircraft, explaining the location and mission of each of them. Surely, the next time a plane flies over your head or you visit an airport, you will know the meaning of each of these lights.
