AIM ¶ 2-1-10 — Taxiway Lights
AIM 2-1-10 explained: taxiway edge, centerline, clearance bar, runway guard, and stop bar lights — colors, meanings, and oral exam prep for pilots.
AIM 2-1-10 describes the five types of taxiway lighting you'll encounter at airports, especially in darkness or low visibility. Knowing each color and pattern is essential to avoid runway incursions.
- Taxiway Edge Lights — blue, outline taxiway edges. At major airports, intensity is adjustable on pilot request.
- Taxiway Centerline Lights — steady green, mark the centerline on straight and curved sections, including paths across runways and ramps. Used in low visibility ground operations.
- Clearance Bar Lights — three in-pavement steady yellow lights at holding positions; also mark intersecting taxiways at night.
- Runway Guard Lights — flashing yellow lights (elevated pair or in-pavement row) at every taxiway/runway intersection. They alert you that you are approaching an active runway.
- Stop Bar Lights — a row of red in-pavement lights plus elevated red lights at the holding position, used when RVR is below 1,200 ft. ATC turns them off and illuminates green lead-on lights to authorize crossing.
Critical rule: Never cross a red illuminated stop bar, even with an ATC clearance. If lead-on lights extinguish after you cross, hold position and contact ATC.
Five FAA-written-style questions. Instant explanations, every answer cites its source — no account needed.
You are flying VFR in Class E airspace at 8,500 feet MSL during the day. What are your minimum visibility and cloud clearance requirements?