What are aircraft logo lights, and when should pilots use them?
Aircraft logo lights explained: what they illuminate, when pilots use them, how they differ from navigation lights, and why procedures vary.
In real-world aviation, aircraft logo lights are white lamps aimed at the vertical stabiliser, illuminating the tail marking and improving identification at night. Pilots usually use them from dusk to dawn on the ground and at lower altitudes, but the aircraft checklist and operator’s procedures—not a universal altitude rule—control their use.
What logo lights illuminate
Logo lights cast a broad white beam across one or both sides of the vertical tail rather than shining outwards as a signalling light. They are most common on airliners and other large aircraft, with the lamps mounted in locations such as the horizontal stabiliser or rear fuselage.
Their main purposes are identification, branding and added conspicuity. They do not show the aircraft’s direction of travel: that job belongs to the red, green and white position lights described in our guide to how navigation-light colours indicate aircraft orientation. The small white light visible at the tail is therefore not the same thing as a logo light.
When should pilots turn logo lights on?
Pilots should operate logo lights according to the aircraft checklist and their operator’s standard procedures. A common airline pattern is to use them at night on the ground and during the lower portions of a flight, but the exact switching point varies.
| Situation | Common practice | Important caveat |
|---|---|---|
| At the stand and during night taxi | Usually on | A logo light improves recognition but does not warn that engines are starting. |
| Night take-off, initial climb and arrival | Usually on | The operator may specify an altitude or flight phase for switching. |
| Night cruise | Type and operator dependent | Some remain on, some are switched off, and others are controlled automatically. |
| Daylight | Normally off | Procedures may call for them in poor visibility or for a specific operation. |
There is no universal rule that every pilot must switch logo lights at 10,000 feet. That altitude is used in some airline lighting flows, but copying it to every aircraft is a mistake we see often.
Control arrangements also differ. A cockpit may have a separate LOGO switch, a combined NAV & LOGO selector or automatic logic linked to landing gear and high-lift configuration. On such an aircraft, the switch can remain selected while the actual lamps extinguish in cruise and illuminate again during approach.
Are aircraft logo lights legally required?
Logo lights are generally supplementary identification lights rather than a substitute for required position or anti-collision lighting. The applicable national rules, aircraft approval, operator procedures and operating conditions determine what must be illuminated.
An inoperative logo light should still be recorded as a defect. Dispatch is then decided under the aircraft’s approved minimum equipment provisions and the operator’s maintenance procedures; pilots should not assume that every apparently cosmetic light can simply be ignored.
How are logo lights different from other aircraft lights?
Logo lights illuminate the aircraft itself, while most other exterior lights signal its position, attract attention or illuminate the route ahead.
| Light | Main function |
|---|---|
| Logo light | Floodlights the vertical tail and its markings. |
| Navigation or position lights | Show the aircraft’s orientation using red, green and white lights. |
| Beacon, strobe and recognition lights | Draw attention to the aircraft and support collision avoidance; see our detailed guidance on selecting recognition lights and strobes. |
| Taxi and landing lights | Illuminate the ground or flight path and make the aircraft conspicuous during critical phases. |
A logo light must never be treated as an anti-collision light. Its reflected glow may make the aircraft easier to see, but it does not provide the prescribed coverage or flashing pattern of a beacon or strobe.
Why might logo lights not work in a flight simulator?
A simulated logo light may fail to appear because the aircraft model does not implement one, the control is combined with another light switch, or the required electrical bus is unpowered. A repaint can also lose the necessary illuminated material or texture mask even though the base aircraft supports the lamp.
- Test in darkness: use an external view at dusk or night, since logo illumination can be almost invisible in daylight.
- Check electrical power: energise the appropriate aircraft buses and use the virtual cockpit’s logo or combined navigation-and-logo control.
- Allow for automatic logic: compare the light on the ground and in an approach configuration if the aircraft documentation describes gear- or flap-dependent operation.
- Compare the base livery: if the original aircraft works but a repaint does not, the livery’s material or illumination texture is the likely cause. If none work, the model may not include a logo lamp.
For a practical FSX implementation, the Airbus A321 AI base models with toggleable logo lighting show how logo, taxi and landing lights can be modelled as separate exterior-light features.