Use the right Boeing 737 exterior lights for engine start, taxi, take-off, cruise and landing, with switch meanings, timing and simulator fixes.
On a Boeing 737, use position lights whenever the aircraft is powered, the red anti-collision beacon from before engine start until shutdown, strobes from runway entry to runway exit, and landing lights for take-off and landing. Taxi, runway-turnoff, wing and logo lights are used as movement, visibility and operator procedures require.
For Aviation & Real-World Flying, this is a practical baseline rather than a substitute for an operator's checklist. Exact switch labels and procedures differ between 737 generations, installed equipment, airlines and airports; a simulator add-on may also model them differently.
Which Boeing 737 lights should be on during each phase?
| Phase | Normal exterior-light use |
|---|---|
| Parked with electrical power | Set position lights to STEADY. Logo lights may be used at night. The beacon, strobes, taxi and landing lights remain off. |
| Pushback and engine start | Keep position lights steady and switch the red anti-collision beacon on before pushback or engine start, according to the operator's sequence. |
| Taxi | Use position lights, beacon and the taxi light while moving. Runway-turnoff lights can help at poorly lit junctions. Keep strobes and landing lights off to avoid dazzling ground personnel and other crews. |
| Entering or crossing a runway | Select STROBE & STEADY where that combined position-light switch is fitted. Landing lights are normally switched on when entering for take-off; runway-crossing policy varies. |
| Take-off and initial climb | Use position lights, strobes, beacon and all required landing lights. Taxi and runway-turnoff lights are selected according to the aircraft and company checklist. |
| Cruise | Keep position lights, strobes and the anti-collision beacon on. Landing, taxi and runway-turnoff lights are normally off. |
| Descent and landing | Landing lights commonly come on below 10,000 ft or at an operator-defined point. By final approach, use the required landing lights with position lights, strobes and beacon. |
| After leaving the runway | Turn landing lights and strobes off once clear, return position lights to steady, and use taxi or runway-turnoff lights as needed. Leave the beacon on until the engines have stopped. |
The runway-light change is only one part of the flow; our complete 737 line-up and take-off sequence explains where it fits with configuration, thrust and initial climb actions.
What does each Boeing 737 exterior-light switch do?
- POSITION: Controls the red left-wing, green right-wing and white tail position lights. Many 737s combine these with a three-position
STEADY / OFF / STROBE & STEADYswitch; some simulated aircraft provide separate strobe controls. Our aircraft-light colour and purpose guide explains how the lights identify direction and aircraft orientation. - ANTI COLLISION: Operates the flashing red beacon. It warns people nearby that the aircraft is about to move or that an engine is running. Do not switch it off immediately after parking while an engine is still turning.
- STROBE: Produces the intense white flashes used on the runway and in flight. Avoid using strobes on the apron because they can dazzle marshallers, passengers and nearby pilots.
- LANDING: Provides the main forward illumination and makes the aircraft conspicuous during take-off and approach. Some 737s have both fixed and retractable landing lights. Where retractable lights are fitted, move them to
RETRACTafter use rather than leaving an extinguished lamp extended. - TAXI: Illuminates the taxiway directly ahead during ground movement. It is not a substitute for landing lights on take-off.
- RUNWAY TURNOFF: Aims light outwards to illuminate runway exits and tight taxiway turns. A mistake we see constantly in simulators is switching these on as if they were another pair of landing lights.
- WING, WHEEL WELL and LOGO: Wing lights illuminate the leading edges for inspection, wheel-well lights assist inspection and servicing, and logo lights illuminate the tail. These are used as conditions or company procedure require, not as a fixed part of every flight phase.
Should landing lights be on below 10,000 feet?
Usually, but 10,000 ft is an operational convention rather than a technical limit built into the Boeing 737. Many procedures use landing lights below that altitude for conspicuity, while take-off and landing remain the key occasions when they are required by the applicable checklist.
Strobes normally remain on throughout flight. In cloud, fog or heavy precipitation, their reflection can become distracting; approved procedures may permit them to be switched off temporarily. Bright taxi or landing lights can cause similar backscatter on the ground, so using every available light is not always the safest choice.
Why do Boeing 737 light switches not work in a simulator?
When a 737 exterior light fails in a simulator, the usual cause is electrical state, a conflicting control binding or an add-on that uses custom switch logic.
- Use the overhead-panel switch first. Generic commands such as “toggle all lights” may not operate a systems-detailed 737 correctly and can leave the virtual switch out of synchronisation.
- Check electrical power. A dark aircraft, unpowered bus or incomplete start sequence may prevent individual lamps from working even though a generic simulator model would illuminate them.
- Remove conflicting bindings. A throttle, switch panel or duplicate keyboard assignment can immediately reset the cockpit switch. MSFS users can identify the standard functions in our keyboard and exterior-light command reference.
- Confirm what the aircraft actually models. Some simple aircraft omit retractable-light animation, wing illumination, wheel-well lights or separate fixed lamps. A 737 add-on with detailed systems modelling is the better choice when practising realistic lighting flows.
- Check from an external view at dusk. Position, logo and wing lights can be difficult to see in bright daylight, making a working light appear defective.