Night Flight Basics
Cockpit Lighting, Aircraft Lights, and Airport Lighting Systems
OBJECTIVE
Introduce trainees to the fundamentals of night VFR operations in the simulator, covering cockpit lighting adjustments, aircraft exterior lighting management, airport lighting systems, and formation considerations to ensure safe and effective night flight operations.
CONTENT
Cockpit Lighting and MFD Brightness
Proper cockpit lighting setup is essential for night operations. Too bright = washed out exterior view. Too dim = can't read instruments.
COCKPIT LIGHTING ADJUSTMENTS
MFD/Display Brightness
- • Reduce brightness to 30-50% for night operations
- • Prevents glare on canopy and preserves night vision
- • Adjust HUD brightness separately if equipped
- • Use "Night" mode if available in aircraft settings
Instrument Panel Lighting
- • Dim instrument backlighting to minimum readable level
- • Use RED lighting if available (preserves night vision best)
- • Flood lights should be low or off
Console/Utility Lights
- • Reduce side console lighting
- • Thunderstorm lights OFF (used for lightning protection, not normal night ops)
- • Map/chart lights as needed, pointed away from canopy
Sim Tip: In MSFS, use the cockpit lighting controls in the aircraft's overhead panel or EFB. Many aircraft have a master "Night/Day" mode. Experiment during preflight to find optimal settings before taxiing.
Aircraft Exterior Lighting
Know what each light does, when to use it, and—critically—when to turn it OFF to avoid blinding your wingman or other aircraft.
AIRCRAFT POSITION LIGHTS (Required at Night)
Left Wing
RED
Aircraft
Right Wing
GREEN
Tail
WHITE
"Red on left, green on right" - If you see red and green, traffic is coming toward you!
EXTERIOR LIGHT TYPES AND USAGE
| Light | When ON | When OFF |
|---|---|---|
| Position/Nav Lights | Sunset to sunrise (ALWAYS) | Never at night |
| Anti-Collision Beacon | Engines running or about to start | Engines shut down |
| Strobe Lights | Takeoff roll through landing rollout | Ground ops, formation (blinds wingmen!) |
| Landing Lights | Takeoff, final approach, landing | Taxi, formation, cruise |
| Taxi Light | Taxiing on ground | Holding behind other aircraft, in formation |
| Formation Lights | Night formation flight | Solo flight, daytime |
⚠️ LIGHT DISCIPLINE - DON'T BLIND YOUR WINGMAN!
Landing Lights
Turn OFF when taxiing behind or beside other aircraft. The intense beam will blind pilots ahead of you and destroy their night vision.
Taxi Lights
Turn OFF or aim down when holding short with traffic taxiing past. Be courteous!
Strobe Lights
Turn OFF during ground operations and formation flight. Strobes are extremely disorienting to wingmen at night.
TYPICAL NIGHT LIGHT SEQUENCE
Airport Beacons
Airport beacons help you identify airports from a distance and determine the type of airport. They rotate and flash distinctive color combinations.
AIRPORT BEACON COLORS
White / Green
Civilian land airport (most common)
White / White / Green
Military airport
White / Yellow
Water airport (seaplane base)
Yellow / Green
Lighted heliport
Note: A beacon operating during daylight hours may indicate weather below VFR minimums (IFR conditions). This is a signal to check current weather before proceeding.
Runway and Taxiway Lighting
Understanding airport lighting colors is critical for safe ground operations at night. The colors tell you exactly where you are.
RUNWAY LIGHTING COLORS
Runway Edge Lights - WHITE
Line both sides of the runway. Identifies the runway edges.
Runway Edge (Last 2,000') - YELLOW
Caution zone - indicates remaining runway on rollout. Yellow = you're running out of runway!
Threshold Lights - GREEN
Marks the beginning of the runway (landing threshold). Green = GO, safe to land here.
Runway End Lights - RED
Marks the end of the runway. Red = STOP, do not go past! (Visible from runway side only)
TAXIWAY LIGHTING COLORS
Taxiway Edge Lights - BLUE
Outlines taxiway edges. Stay between the blue lights!
Taxiway Centerline Lights - GREEN
Follow the green centerline lights to stay on the taxiway center.
Hold Short Lights - YELLOW
Row of yellow lights across taxiway = HOLD SHORT line. Do not cross without clearance!
Stop Bar Lights - RED
Red lights across taxiway at runway hold points. NEVER cross red stop bars without ATC clearance!
QUICK REFERENCE: LIGHT COLOR MEANINGS
WHITE
Runway Edge
BLUE
Taxiway Edge
GREEN
Threshold / Centerline
YELLOW
Caution / Hold
RED
STOP - Do Not Cross / Runway End
Visual Glide Slope Indicators (VASI/PAPI)
These lighting systems help you maintain proper glide path on approach—especially critical at night when depth perception is reduced.
PAPI (Precision Approach Path Indicator)
Four lights beside the runway. Red = too low, White = too high.
Memory Aid: "Red over white, you're alright. Red over red, you're dead." (All red = dangerously low, risk of hitting terrain short of runway)
Pilot-Controlled Lighting (PCL)
At many non-towered airports, runway lights are pilot-controlled via radio. Know how to activate them!
PCL ACTIVATION (Key Mic on CTAF)
7 Clicks
HIGH Intensity
(within 5 seconds)
5 Clicks
MEDIUM Intensity
(within 5 seconds)
3 Clicks
LOW Intensity
(within 5 seconds)
Lights typically remain on for 15 minutes after activation.
Sim Note: PCL may not be simulated in all MSFS airports. Check if the airport has functional PCL. Some add-on airports include this feature.
Night Vision Illusions (Awareness)
While some real-world physiological effects don't apply in the sim, understanding these illusions helps you recognize unusual visual cues.
COMPLETION STANDARDS
Trainees will demonstrate understanding of night flight operations through quizzes and discussions. Trainees must:
- • Explain proper cockpit lighting setup for night operations including MFD brightness
- • Identify when to use each aircraft exterior light (position, beacon, strobes, landing, taxi)
- • Explain light discipline and why landing lights/strobes must be OFF during taxi behind other aircraft
- • Identify airport beacon colors and what they indicate
- • Describe runway and taxiway light colors and their meanings
- • Interpret PAPI indications (all white through all red)
- • Explain pilot-controlled lighting activation (7-5-3 clicks)
Completion: Demonstrate understanding through discussion and be prepared to configure aircraft lighting for a night sortie