When must position lights be turned on?

Position lights must be turned on one hour after sunset and remain illuminated until one hour before sunrise. This regulation ensures that an aircraft is visible to other pilots during low-light conditions, promoting safety by allowing other aircraft to see and avoid them.

In addition to aiding visibility during night operations, position lights serve as essential navigational aids in the airspace, helping to communicate the aircraft's position, orientation, and direction to others. This lighting requirement aligns with the FAA regulations regarding the use of lights during various phases of flight to enhance situational awareness for both pilots and air traffic.

While position lights would indeed be useful at any time to increase visibility, the specific regulation governing their use is focused on the operational need during twilight and nighttime hours, separating it from other conditions such as adverse weather, where additional lighting may be warranted or recommended, but not required by this rule.