An aerial lighthouse is a lighthouse

Lighthouse

A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....

 used to guide aircraft with lighted beacon

Beacon

A beacon is an intentionally conspicuous device designed to attract attention to a specific location.Beacons can also be combined with semaphoric or other indicators to provide important information, such as the status of an airport, by the colour and rotational pattern of its airport beacon, or of...

s at night. A network of aerial lighthouses was established in the United Kingdom

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 and Europe

Europe

Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

 during the 1920's and 1930's. Use of the lighthouses has declined with the advent of Radio Navigation aids such as NDB

NDB

NDB may refer to:* Nachrichtendienst des Bundes, Switzerland's federal intelligence service* National Development Bank* NDB Clan, Group of Forest Walk individuals On Xbox360 and Starcraft Gaming* Ndb Cluster, a database storage engine...

 (Non-directional Beacon), VOR

Vör

In Norse mythology, Vör is a goddess associated with wisdom. Vör is attested in the Prose Edda, written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson; and twice in kennings employed in skaldic poetry...

 (VHF Omni-directional Ranging) and DME

DME

DME is a three letter acronym referring to one of the following:* Dubai Mercantile Exchange, a mercantile exchange market in Dubai, United Arab Emirates* Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern Railroad, a railroad in the United States...

 (Distance measuring Equipment). The last operational aerial lighthouse in the United Kingdom is on top of the Cupola over the RAF College main hall at RAF Cranwell

RAF Cranwell

RAF Cranwell is a Royal Air Force station in Lincolnshire close to the village of Cranwell, near Sleaford. It is currently commanded by Group Captain Dave Waddington...

.