ScottK
Pre-takeoff checklist
My question is in regard to the exterior lights required for night flight.
I'm flying a C172 that has your standard red/green lights on the wingtips, a red beacon on the tail, a strobe on the belly and the rear facing white position light on the tail. Now as I understood it, the red/green/rear white lights are position lights. If any of the three are out, you are not night legal. Is that correct?
I had a fellow pilot suggest that if the rear pos light is out, the presence of the strobe light would be sufficient to be night legal. That didn't sound right to me and I haven't been able to find anything that would support that.
It was also suggested that the strobe would be able to substitute for an inoperative red beacon light for night flight? His argument was that the beacon and strobe are both anti-collision lights. That didn't sound kosher to me either. You don't typically run the strobe on the ground to avoid blinding other pilots. So how would you use it as a substitute?
From 91.205:
(c) Visual flight rules (night). For VFR flight at night, the following instruments and equipment are required:
(1) Instruments and equipment specified in paragraph (b) of this section.
(2) Approved position lights.
(3) An approved aviation red or aviation white anticollision light system on all U.S.-registered civil aircraft. Anticollision light systems initially installed after August 11, 1971, on aircraft for which a type certificate was issued or applied for before August 11, 1971, must at least meet the anticollision light standards of part 23, 25, 27, or 29 of this chapter, as applicable, that were in effect on August 10, 1971, except that the color may be either aviation red or aviation white. In the event of failure of any light of the anticollision light system, operations with the aircraft may be continued to a stop where repairs or replacement can be made
I've already delayed a few night flights because the rear pos light is still inoperative. I'm not comfortable going out at night with anything less than all available lights working. Also, as a relatively new pilot (110tt), I'm still learning to navigate the FARs. Any info in regards to these questions will be greatly appreciated.
I'm flying a C172 that has your standard red/green lights on the wingtips, a red beacon on the tail, a strobe on the belly and the rear facing white position light on the tail. Now as I understood it, the red/green/rear white lights are position lights. If any of the three are out, you are not night legal. Is that correct?
I had a fellow pilot suggest that if the rear pos light is out, the presence of the strobe light would be sufficient to be night legal. That didn't sound right to me and I haven't been able to find anything that would support that.
It was also suggested that the strobe would be able to substitute for an inoperative red beacon light for night flight? His argument was that the beacon and strobe are both anti-collision lights. That didn't sound kosher to me either. You don't typically run the strobe on the ground to avoid blinding other pilots. So how would you use it as a substitute?
From 91.205:
(c) Visual flight rules (night). For VFR flight at night, the following instruments and equipment are required:
(1) Instruments and equipment specified in paragraph (b) of this section.
(2) Approved position lights.
(3) An approved aviation red or aviation white anticollision light system on all U.S.-registered civil aircraft. Anticollision light systems initially installed after August 11, 1971, on aircraft for which a type certificate was issued or applied for before August 11, 1971, must at least meet the anticollision light standards of part 23, 25, 27, or 29 of this chapter, as applicable, that were in effect on August 10, 1971, except that the color may be either aviation red or aviation white. In the event of failure of any light of the anticollision light system, operations with the aircraft may be continued to a stop where repairs or replacement can be made
I've already delayed a few night flights because the rear pos light is still inoperative. I'm not comfortable going out at night with anything less than all available lights working. Also, as a relatively new pilot (110tt), I'm still learning to navigate the FARs. Any info in regards to these questions will be greatly appreciated.
