I live near a major airport and see commercial planes with huge front headlights shining in the night sky. What could they be good for way up in the sky, though? I get that when they are taking off/landing headlights are necessary. Why not give them lights like a boat, with a green in front and a red in back?
They’re supposed to keep their lights on under 10000ft. They’re less for the pilots, at least aside from takeoff/landing, and more for other planes.
Idk why that specific configuration was chosen- to pull double duty, I guess? They’re functionally landing lights, but also warning lights if they’re low/in crowded airspace.
I just googled the question, and looked around a bit so it’s possible this is wrong.
It’s probably correct. There has to be some fixed rule. And with airplanes, a lot depends on altitude. They want to be seen. They want to see what’s in front of them during critical phases like takeoff and landing. And probably not switch on and off arbitrary things like lights, just when they’re most busy with other things.