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.

Would you catch this on the written? Try 5 questions below — no signup

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.

Read the AIM? Now prove it

Would you catch these on the written?

Five FAA-written-style questions. Instant explanations, every answer cites its source — no account needed.

Live demo · no account needed

1/5

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?

Keys A–D answer · Enter continues

PPL5 sample questions — in the app, the drill engine covers 88 PPL topics and every answer cites its source

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