Aeroplane lights

[Tilly2]

The other night, whilst out looking at the moon, I say loads of planes flying over with their lights flashing.

Is it true that every plane has a distinctive 'flashing lights' pattern or have I dreamt that?

[tonyav]

Tilly, if you mean the ones on the wings, they are there to indicate which is starboard and which is port.

[237SJ]

They`re the strobe lights. They look quite impressive when you fly through cloud and they light it up.

[237SJ]

That`s the red and green ones Tony. Left and Right. Port and starboard aren`t used in aviation. I sound like a pedant.

[Tilly2]

Is that all it is then Tony? The port and starboard lights? Does each plane have a distinctive flash sequence?

[EDDIE51]

If you want to know which planes are flying over your house look at this.
http://www.flightradar24.com/
You can zoom in to your area.

[tonyav]

Don't mention that word pedant in front of Tilly lol.

[Tilly2]

I suppose pedant is slightlybetter than peasant.

[237SJ]

By the way, no, there`s no pattern. They just flash on and off.

[albaqwerty]

Apparently lighthouses have their own unique flashing pattern.

[Tilly2]

That must be what I was thinking of Alba, lighthouses.

However, the lights on planes don't just flash on and off, do they? Some go flash, flash. Some go flasherty, flash and some go flash, flash flasherty flash. etc.

[tonyav]

Have they alba, I didn't know that I have been educated this morning.

[albaqwerty]

What we need is a morse-code reading,plane-spotting Ab'er :-)

Love your flashety-flash flash description. We're close to a flight path, I'm going to be curious now.

[EDDIE51]

aberqwety, yes every light house has it's own flash pattern. Sailors can tell where they are by looking at the flash of the light house.

[tonyav]

Tilly, I think that effect ( flashy flash flash ) is most likely caused by the atmosphere.

[albaqwerty]

Me too Tony, I never knew about chin-thingies in bananas.

The lighthouse flashy thing is to help ships identify their location, Boaty told me.

[Tilly2]

Don't think it's atmosphere that does that, Tony.

Alba I know about lighthouses. What about foghorns? Do they have a distinctive 'Booooom' pattern as well?

There must be an plane spotter somewhere on here.

[Tilly2]

chin thingies?

[tonyav]

alba, chin thingies in bananas ?

[EDDIE51]

The link to Trinity House that tells the flash pattern for Uk light houses is out of order at the moment but this link gives the idea
http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=22010

[EDDIE51]

Yes Fog horns have a sound pattern to identify them.