Definition
Aircraft exterior lights designed to illuminate the ground ahead during taxi operations. They are typically mounted on the nose gear strut or in the wing leading edge, aimed lower and wider than landing lights, and produce a softer beam intended for ground movement rather than approach and landing.
Plain English
Lights on the aircraft used to see the ground ahead while moving on taxiways and ramps at night.
Context Anchor
Seen in aircraft lighting and electrical system discussions, and used during night or low-light ground movement on ramps and taxiways.
Derivation
The word taxi in aviation comes from the early 1900s, when slow-moving aircraft on the ground were compared to taxicabs cruising the streets. A taxi light is simply the light used during that ground movement.
Why Pilots Care
Proper use prevents runway incursions and collisions with obstacles or other aircraft while taxiing at night.
Analogy
They work much like headlights on a car at low speed, helping you see where you are going while moving on the ground.
Intuition Check
Do not confuse taxi lights with taxiway lights. Taxi lights are on the aircraft; taxiway lights are installed on the airport.
Example Sentence 1
Before taxiing out at night, the pilot turned on the taxi lights to see the centerline markings clearly.
Example Sentence 2
During the preflight the pilot verified that both taxi lights illuminated when selected on the lighting panel.