Airplane flashing light colours?

Hi all, long time no post!

I was just out at night and saw an airplane fly overhead blinking red. Then it switched to blinking white or light green. Why would it do that? It didn't seem to bank, change altitude, or perform any other maneuver when it switched. Judging by the trajectory, it was not a commercial airliner but rather a small civilian or military craft.

Any ideas on what the colours mean and why it would switch? Thanks!

I don't think it switched, just your angle of perspective changed.

Possibly. If the lights shine in perfect hemispherical directions, with zero overlap and zero blind spots then if I were to switch from the left side of the plane to the right side then I'd say that you nailed it. But I don't see how that is possible without either the plane changing it's flight vector or me changing my position on the ground.

I suppose that the light geometry is possible considering that engineers designed the lights specifically for that purpose. I suppose as well that the plane may have changed direction yet I was unable to perceive that. Do the lights really manage a perfect hemispherical geometry?

Also, I suppose that if the plane were changing direction, then it would bank, further enhancing the effect of seeing only one light, then seeing only the other.

By the way, are you still producing music?

I still play music but haven't been recording except for our band jam sessions. I need to separate from computer based recording and get a dedicated hardware device (albeit still hard drive based) I need to start recording children's music while the muse is still with me. More like They Might Be Giants take on children's music than lullabies though :-)

If I remember right our critters are about the same age. My youngest is three today, my oldest will be five on the last day of December.

Happy BDay to your young one :-)

Mine's only 20 months albeit the size of a three year old.