Plain English Meaning

Bright white flashing lights on the wingtips and tail that help others see the aircraft. They are kept on in flight and turned off on the ground when they would dazzle people nearby.

Full Definition

High-intensity white flashing lights mounted on an aircraft, typically at the wingtips and sometimes on the tail, used to make the aircraft highly visible to other pilots and ground personnel. Strobes are part of the aircraft's anti-collision light system and are generally required to be on during flight, but are turned off on the ground when they could blind other pilots, ground crew, or controllers, such as while taxiing near other aircraft or holding on a busy ramp.

Context Anchor

You encounter this term during ground operations, especially when entering or leaving a runway and when setting .