PREFLIGHT WHAT AM I? BY JULIE SUMMERS WALKER QUICK SCAN WHAT'S YOUR POSITION? Light up the night SEE AND BE SEEN Heading toward you The red light is on the right. NAVIGATION LIGHTS HELP YOU-AND THEM How can you tell if an aircraft is coming toward you or away from you? It seems like it would be obvious, but in the sky environment often things are not as they seem. Haven't you ever thought you saw an aircraft only to have it seemingly disappear among the lights on the ground? There's a bright shimmer replaced by nothingness, and you scan the sky repeatedly until you finally see it again. Navigation lights have their history in the maritime world; they take their origin from shipping laws of the 1800s. A red light will be on the port side (the left), a green light on the starboard side (right), and a white light on the stern (tail). An aircraft is coming toward you if the red light is on the right and away from you if you see the white light. Nav lights-also known as position lights-are located on the wing tip and tail. They are required to be used from sunset to sunrise. Aircraft built after 1996 are required to also have anti-collision lights. julie.walker@aopa.org 14 FLIGHT TRAINING JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020 Heading away from you The white light is visible. Passing from right to left The red light is visible.