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Aeronautical Light Beacons

AIM ¶ 2-2-1 — Aeronautical Light Beacons

AIM 2-2-1 explains aeronautical light beacons: how rotating and flashing white/colored lights mark airports, landmarks, airways, and obstructions for pilots.

In Plain English

An aeronautical light beacon is a visual NAVAID that uses flashes of white and/or colored light to mark something important on the ground from the air. Per AIM 2-2-1, beacons can identify:

  • An airport or heliport
  • A landmark
  • A specific point on a Federal airway in mountainous terrain
  • An obstruction

The light source may be a rotating beacon or one or more flashing lights, and these can be supplemented by steady-burning lights of lower intensity. The color (or color combination) tells you what kind of feature the beacon marks — for example, an alternating white/green flash signals a lighted land airport. Auxiliary lights may also flash a coded identifier to pinpoint the exact site.

Why this matters: at night or in low visibility, beacons are often the first cue a pilot has to locate an airport, identify rising terrain along an airway, or avoid a tower or other hazard. Recognizing beacon color codes helps you confirm an airport at a distance and distinguish it from obstructions or landmarks.

AIM Source Text
FAA AIM ¶ 2-2-1
2-2-1. 2-2-1. Aeronautical Light Beacons An aeronautical light beacon is a visual NAVAID displaying flashes of white and/or colored light to indicate the location of an airport, a heliport, a landmark, a certain point of a Federal airway in mountainous terrain, or an obstruction. The light used may be a rotating beacon or one or more flashing lights. The flashing lights may be supplemented by steady burning lights of lesser intensity. The color or color combination displayed by a particular beacon and/or its auxiliary lights tell whether the beacon is indicating a landing place, landmark, point of the Federal airways, or an obstruction. Coded flashes of the auxiliary lights, if employed, further identify the beacon site.
Oral Exam Questions a DPE Might Ask
Q1What is an aeronautical light beacon and what can it indicate?
Per AIM 2-2-1, an aeronautical light beacon is a visual NAVAID displaying flashes of white and/or colored light to indicate the location of an airport, a heliport, a landmark, a certain point of a Federal airway in mountainous terrain, or an obstruction.
Q2What types of lights make up an aeronautical light beacon?
Per AIM 2-2-1, the light may be a rotating beacon or one or more flashing lights, and the flashing lights may be supplemented by steady burning lights of lesser intensity.
Q3How can a pilot tell what a particular beacon is marking?
Per AIM 2-2-1, the color or color combination displayed by the beacon and/or its auxiliary lights identifies whether it marks a landing place, landmark, Federal airway point, or obstruction. Coded flashes of the auxiliary lights, if used, further identify the specific beacon site.
Related Paragraphs in AIM Chapter 2
2-2-2
Code Beacons and Course Lights
2-2-3
Obstruction Lights
2-2-4
LED Lighting and NVGs
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AIM 2-2-1 — Aeronautical Light Beacons