Aircraft navigation lights
Free lesson · Air Regulations · DGCA CPL and ATPL
At night an aircraft is three lights. Learn what they show, then tell which way each one is going.
What do another aircraft's lights tell you at night?
Navigation lights
Each light shines over a fixed sector. The colours you see show which way it points.
Memory hook: 110 + 110 + 140 = 360. Half of 140 is 70: the overtaking angle.
Takeaway: Red 110° left, green 110° right, white 140° behind; the white sector is the overtaking zone. A light that doesn't move across your view means collision risk.
Which way is that aircraft going?
Read the lights
You see these lights ahead at night. Sort each one.
- Red and green together
- White light only
- Red and white
- Green and white
- A red light that stays at the same bearing
- You are on its 100° relative bearing
Memory hook: Red to red is safe; green to green is safe.
Takeaway: Red and green: coming at you. White only: going away. Red and white: right to left. Green and white: left to right.