PLT461: Use of Aircraft Lights
What code PLT461 covers, why the FAA tests it, and how to study Use of Aircraft Lights before your checkride.
Recall regulations - use of aircraft lights 12
What this means for your checkride
Under 91.209 no person may operate an aircraft from sunset to sunrise without lighted position lights, and a parked aircraft in a dangerous area of a night operating airport must be lighted unless otherwise marked. Anticollision lights, if installed, must be on whenever the aircraft is operating, day or night, unless the PIC turns them off for safety.
Lights make aircraft visible and are regulated, so the FAA tests when position and anticollision lights must be on.
Pilots run anticollision lights only at night. If installed, they must be on any time the aircraft is operating, day or night, unless turning them off is in the interest of safety.
Where to study it
A code on your test report is an area of deficiency. An authorized instructor must review it with you and endorse that review before you take the practical test, and the examiner may revisit it during the oral. Study it until you can explain it out loud, not just recognize the answer.