Code Beacons and Course Lights

AIM ¶ 2-2-2 — Code Beacons and Course Lights

AIM 2-2-2 explains code beacons and course lights: Morse identifiers, green/yellow flashes, and legacy airway beacons. Study guide for pilot students.

In Plain English

AIM 2-2-2 describes two legacy ground-based lighting aids: code beacons and course lights.

Code beacons are visible from all directions and identify airports and landmarks. They flash the airport's three- or four-character identifier in International Morse Code at a rate of 6–8 times per minute.
- Green flashes = land airport
- Yellow flashes = water airport
Course lights are visible clearly from only one direction and were used with the rotating beacons of the Federal Airway System. Two course lights mounted back-to-back project coded flashing beams along the airway course in either direction.

Why it matters: Although electronic navigation has replaced lighted airways, a few airway beacons still mark airway segments in remote mountainous areas. Recognizing a flashing Morse-coded beacon at night could help confirm your position or identify a nearby airport when other references are limited. Note that AIM material is informational guidance, not a regulatory requirement.

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AIM Source Text

FAA AIM ¶ 2-2-2

2-2-2. 2-2-2. Code Beacons and Course Lights Code Beacons. The code beacon, which can be seen from all directions, is used to identify airports and landmarks. The code beacon flashes the three or four character airport identifier in International Morse Code six to eight times per minute. Green flashes are displayed for land airports while yellow flashes indicate water airports. Course Lights. The course light, which can be seen clearly from only one direction, is used only with rotating beacons of the Federal Airway System: two course lights, back to back, direct coded flashing beams of light in either direction along the course of airway. NOTE- Airway beacons are remnants of the “lighted” airways which antedated the present electronically equipped federal airways system. Only a few of these beacons exist today to mark airway segments in remote mountain areas. Flashes in Morse code identify the beacon site.

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Oral Exam Questions a DPE Might Ask

Q1What is the purpose of a code beacon, and how does it identify the airport?

Per AIM 2-2-2, a code beacon is visible from all directions and identifies airports and landmarks by flashing the three- or four-character airport identifier in International Morse Code six to eight times per minute.

Q2What do green versus yellow flashes from a code beacon indicate?

Per AIM 2-2-2, green flashes indicate a land airport, while yellow flashes indicate a water airport.

Q3Where might you still encounter airway beacons today, and what was their original purpose?

Per AIM 2-2-2, airway beacons are remnants of the lighted airways that preceded the current electronic federal airways system. Only a few remain, marking airway segments in remote mountain areas, and they flash Morse code to identify the beacon site.

Related Paragraphs in AIM Chapter 2

¶ 2-2-1

Aeronautical Light Beacons

¶ 2-2-3

Obstruction Lights

¶ 2-2-4

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