Why does aircraft need hi-beam, tail and wing lights at night in the mid-sky?

Question

I know lights are required during take-off and landing, but why is it required during the flight in the mid-sky. Oh, and for low-speed light aircrafts night-lights might be helpful during flight, but for passenger jets?

Answer 1

Navigation lights make the airplane more conspicuous in low visibility conditions, so that pilots can better see other aircraft.  Straightforward enough?

Answer 2

I'm pretty sure News Helicopters have all these lights so the nit wits on the ground can call their local PD and say... "I want to report that I saw 5 loud UFOs hovering over my house with blinky colored lights" and their house just happens to be next to a blazing building with fire depts from all over working to put it out and save all of Mrs O'Mallys 37 cats live on the 10 O'clock news.  Or I could be wrong.

Answer 3

So other aircraft can see them. Also the lights on the wings are colored so the other airplanes know which direct they are going.

Same rules apply to boats.

Answer 4

The colored lights on the wing tips (red on the left, green on the right) and the white light on the tail not only make it easier for pilots to see and identify other airplanes in the sky, it makes it possible to determine the other aircraft's position and direction of travel.  

If you, as a pilot, can see a red and a white light, that means that the other airplane is moving to your left.  If you see green and white, it means the other plane is moving to your right.  If you see red and green, it means the other airplane is moving towards you, and if you see red, white and green, it means the airplane is moving directly away from you.

Answer 5

It is basically a requirement, planes must have there lights on during day flights and night flights, during flight they must have on there strobe lights, beacon and navigation lights, below 10000ft they must also have on the landing lights.

In aviation you must take every precaution available, and having lights on makes sure planes can been seen by other planes, even in the daytime as they make go through fog, clouds.

Answer 6

Right like he said, other wise all I would see is someone's red and green lights and the flashing red light but those don't attract one's attention.  The white light will attract my attention better and I'll see them better because white towards me means they're coming head on.  What would we do if cars didn't have white headlights at night?