Which colors and locations define the required position lights for night operation on an aircraft?

• A. Left wing tip red, right wing tip green and white on the vertical stabilizer.
• B. Left wing tip green, right wing tip red and white on the vertical stabilizer.
• C. Left wing tip red, right wing tip green and blue on the vertical stabilizer.
• D. Left wing tip red, right wing tip white and green on the vertical stabilizer.

Answer: (A)

Night operation relies on position lights to show an aircraft’s orientation. The standard setup uses a red light on the left wing tip, a green light on the right wing tip, and a white light at the tail (typically on the vertical stabilizer). This arrangement lets other pilots determine which side of you they’re seeing and where you’re headed, since red indicates the left side and green indicates the right, with the white tail light marking the rear.

If the colors were swapped (left green, right red), it would give the wrong indication of your orientation. A blue light on the tail isn’t part of the standard position-light system, and placing white and green on the tail instead of a dedicated white tail light would also violate the required configuration.