White/green civilian airport beacon located atop SLSN control tower (July 2014).
Airport beacons help a pilot identify an airport at night. The beacon typically rotates at a constant speed, which produces the visual effect of coloured flashes at regular intervals. The combination of light colours from an airport beacon indicates the type of airport.
In real-life aviation, airport beacons are operated from dusk till dawn and sometimes they are turned on if the ceiling is less than 1,000 feet and/or the ground visibility is less than 3 statute miles (visual flight rules minimums). However, there is no requirement for this, so a pilot has the responsibility of determining if the weather is VFR.
Colour combinations
| Lights | Airport type |
|---|---|
| White and Green | Civilian land airport |
| White and Yellow | Civilian water airport |
| Green, Yellow, and White | Civilian heliport |
| White, White, Green | Military airport |
| White, Green, Red | Hospital and/or Emergency Services Heliport |
Images
Visual representation of airport beacon types.
A configurable airfield beacon tower designed by Flywalker Aviation Outfitters.
