PLT540: Airport Rotating Beacon
What code PLT540 covers, why the FAA tests it, and how to study Airport Rotating Beacon before your checkride.
Recall airport operations - rotating beacon 14
What this means for your checkride
An airport rotating beacon marks the field at night and in low visibility, and its color code identifies the airport type: alternating white and green for a lighted land airport, white and yellow for a water airport, and two quick whites with green for a military field. Operating during the day usually signals the field is below basic VFR minimums.
The beacon identifies the airport and hints at the weather, so the FAA tests the color codes and the daytime-beacon clue.
Pilots ignore a beacon running in daytime. In a Class B, C, D, or E surface area a daytime beacon typically means the ceiling or visibility is below VFR minimums, so check the weather before proceeding.
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.