FAA Ground School Practice Test

Except in Alaska, when should lighted position lights be displayed on an aircraft?

1. From sunrise to sunset

2. Only during daylight hours

3. Sunset to sunrise

4. When above 10,000 feet

The correct answer is: Sunset to sunrise

Lighted position lights on an aircraft are required to be displayed from sunset to sunrise, which is a critical regulation established to enhance the visibility of aircraft during low-light conditions. Position lights serve to indicate the aircraft's relative position, orientation, and direction of travel to both air traffic and other aircraft, improving safety during operations in the dark. This requirement is particularly important as visibility can be severely limited during night hours, and the presence of these lights helps ensure that other pilots are aware of your aircraft's presence and intended movements. While position lights may be useful under certain circumstances during daylight, the regulations specifically mandate their illumination only at night. In regions like Alaska, there are unique considerations due to extreme daylight variations, but outside of such exceptions, the standard remains to display position lights exclusively during the hours of darkness. Thus, the guideline of having these lights on from sunset to sunrise directly correlates to safety in aviation operations during times when natural light is insufficient for visual identification.