Obstruction lights are aircraft warning lights installed on all obstructions that present a hazard to aircraft in flight. They are used for the identification of obstacles and to warn pilots of obstructions during hours of darkness and periods of limited daytime visibility. Any high-rising structure or geographical obstruction could represent an obstacle to air navigation. These obstacles include skyscrapers, chimneys, tower structures, smokestacks, cranes, bridges, catenary river crossings, radio/television masts, cable car and power line pylons, wind turbines, anchored balloons, hyperbolic cooling towers, radar and telecommunication antennas. The presence of an obstacle may be marked by low, medium, or high intensity obstruction lights. The luminous intensity as well as the position of lights, number of levels, and number of lights required to adequately reveal the obstruction to assure visibility depend on the height, size and shape of the obstruction. There are two major international standards that regulate the installation of obstruction lights: ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) and the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration). These two organizations give general recommendations, and their standards differ slightly.
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