Which Statement About Beacon Operation Is True?

• A. The Beacon Is Always On From Sunrise To Sunset
• B. The Beacon Is Turned On Between Sunrise And Sunset When The Weather Is Below VFR Minima
• C. The Beacon Is Turned On Only When Requested
• D. The Beacon Is Never Used If Visibility Is Good

Answer: (B)

The beacon’s job is to mark the airport and make it visible to pilots, especially when visibility or cloud ceilings are poor. During daylight hours it isn’t required to stay on all the time; it’s turned on in the day only when the weather falls below basic VFR minima, so pilots can still locate the field in marginal conditions. This is why the statement that the beacon is turned on between sunrise and sunset when the weather is below VFR minima is the true one: it matches the rule that the beacon is active in daylight under marginal weather, and is always on at night. The other ideas—being on only when requested, or never used if visibility is good, or always on from sunrise to sunset—don’t reflect how beacons are used to aid visibility and airport identification under varying weather.