Hi everyone,

This is more of a trivia question I guess. As I was watching a plane fly by tonight I wondered why the light on the left wing is red and the one on the right is green?

aviation obtained most of its terminology and protocol from the nautical environment

i think it's for the same reason that there are red and green buoys

i'm not a sailer but i think it's red buoy left and green buoy right on a certain direction

yes it depends on upstream vs downstream direction (it alludes at this point which way it is) Boats also have the red and green nav lights green to port and red to starboard (could have it backwards haven't been out on a boat in 2 ish years)

Port-red.....(LEFT) Starboard-green....(RIGHT) Stern,Tail-White...(Rear) Boats, airplanes, whatever....

Used for determining a vessels direction of travel by others.

Basic nautical or aviation stuff

Port is a red wine.

Low-N-Slow

Starboard is green.. you are giving the guy to your right the green light.. This helps me remember the right of way rules!

Red Right Return

If you're going upstream, or returning to port, keep the red buoys on your right.

Easiest way I think of it is Right and Green both have 5 letters

Posh is Port Outbound Starboard Homebound.

The white light on a boat faces forward.
If we pass green on green when approaching head on we are breaking the regulations, it should be red on red since each aircraft alters its heading to the right.
What do boats do in this regard?

The overtaking aircraft puts its red light on the aeroplane being overtaken's green.

Reds are lefties.

There is no Port Left in the galley. Port being a Red wine, Red to the Left. Also how I remember port from starboard.

drink too much port and you get left behind!

'Scuse the grammar: There ain't no Red Port Left... As for why red and green? - dunno...

I have not seen a drop of Port in Canada. I thought you were all beer drinkers!

When a school at Biggin Hill got Airtourers they used to reverse their lights downwind to confuse the tower controller at night... Silly buggers.

Red Right wRong

Means the other guy is heading your way!

anyone else just realize how many stupid sayings there are in aviation to remember easy stuff?

As has been alluded to above. It has to do with right of way. Same for boats. if you see a green light at night it means that the other aircraft is approaching from your left. He will see a red light. Aircraft on the right has the right of way (in this case you) and you see a green light.

It would, however, be foolish to not consider other options even if you have the right of way depending on how close you are to each other.

BTD

They way I think of it, if a plane is heading towards you, the red will be on the right.. meaning uh-oh... If green is on the right, all is good, as it's going away from you.

Flying at night is very simple. With a red light on the left wing tip, a green light on the right wing tip and a white light on the tail, to fly safely at night, all you have to do is keep the airplane in between those lights. Simple.

Ever notice how modern turbine airplanes have two nav lights in each wing tip. The answer is also simple. Two pilots!!

I have not seen a drop of Port in Canada. I thought you were all beer drinkers!

When a school at Biggin Hill got Airtourers they used to reverse their lights downwind to confuse the tower controller at night... Silly buggers.

Hmmm - Beachy Head... little low over the water on wheels, perhaps?

The Needles, Isle of Wight.

little low over the water on wheels, perhaps?

A little high I think

Not far away is Portsmouth Castle where I touched the water in a Condor... My attention was diverted by an BN2A Islander passing me on my left at the same altitude, or lack of...
Different times...

Origin of the terms Port and Starboard

Doesn't really give reason why a long time ago someone decided what Red or Green would mean, but the convention has stuck through most of the uses for colored lights for signalling.

At least the French didn't get around to changing that one... They did start driving on the wrong side of the road and you lot followed suit. Shame on you for following the French!

It used to be Starboard and Larboard but that went by the board.

MichaelP wrote:At least the French didn't get around to changing that one... They did start driving on the wrong side of the road and you lot followed suit. Shame on you for following the French!

But Michael, aren't you going to tell them why it's the wrong side?

But Michael, aren't you going to tell them why it's the wrong side?

The French tend to capitulate when faced with battle.

The British were better with both arrow and sword. So since most people are right handed facing your enemy by riding on the left meant facing an English sword.

Making people drive on the right hand side makes it cumbersome to cross your right hand to the other side to strike the Frenchman...
In this way the French are able to survive to carry on with their outrageous accents.

Driving on the wrong side of the road creates a disadvantage for the right handed person.