Definition
Non-flashing red lights installed along the edges of taxiways and runways, or marking obstructions and unusable areas on an airport, to identify boundaries and hazards to pilots operating on the airport surface at night or in low visibility.
Plain English
Red airport lights that stay on continuously (not blinking) and are used to mark the edges of certain surfaces or to warn that something is in the way or off-limits.
Context Anchor
Seen in airport lighting and airplane night-operation discussions, especially around obstruction marking, airport movement areas, and lighted warnings at night.
Derivation
“Steady” means constant or not changing. “Burning” is an older lighting word meaning that a lamp is lit. Together, “steady-burning” simply means the light stays on continuously instead of blinking.
Why Pilots Care
They prevent collisions by showing which side of the aircraft is visible and its direction of travel.
Grounding Statement
If the red light stays on continuously rather than flashing, it is a steady-burning red light.
Intuition Check
Do not read “burning” as meaning fire or heat here. It just means the light is illuminated; “steady-burning” means continuously on, not flashing.
Example Sentence 1
While taxiing back to the ramp at night, the pilot used the steady-burning red lights along the taxiway edge to stay centered on the pavement.
Example Sentence 2
Before night flight the pilot verified that the steady-burning red lights illuminated steadily with no flicker.