2. What lights are dispayed on aircraft during the various phases of flight - i.e. taxi, take off, cruise, descent and landing and when are they selected?
- Commonly minimum strobe lights (perhaps one beacon on the fin) when aircraft power is on.
- Strobes normally in any conditions where visibility is reduced and invariably at night. They are generally turned off in or immediately next to cloud, to prevent disorienting flashes being reflected back into the aircraft.
- Landing light used for approach and landing; at night it will normally be left on until the aircraft is parked, in the day it'll normally be turned off immediately after landing.
- Landing lights are often also left on when flying low level to make the aircraft more visible to anything directly in the flight path.
- Navigation lights on from Dusk to Dawn, and sometimes for safety in poor light conditions (such as under a dark and miserable overcast).
3. Do pilots use port and starboard nav lights for separation with other aircraft OCTA?
Yes, the point behind different coloured lights is that it allows you at night to tell another aircraft's direction of travel relative to oneself.
4. Is there any difference in the answers to 1,2,3 between lighties and larger RPT/Transport aircraft?
There are differences in what lights must be fitted depending upon aircraft class, but if they are fittted they are used in the same manner. Your local ANO, or any handy air-law textbook will cover this.
G