In the case of a radio failure or aircraft not equipped with a radio, air traffic control may use a signal lamp to direct the aircraft. The signal lamp has a focused bright beam and is capable of emitting three different colors: red, white and green. These colors may be flashed or steady, and have different meanings to aircraft in flight or on the ground. Planes can acknowledge the instruction by wiggling their wings, moving the ailerons if on the ground, or by flashing their landing or navigation lights during hours of darkness.
| Aircraft in flight | Aircraft on the ground | Ground vehicles or personnel | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flashing white | N/A | Return to starting point | Return to starting point |
| Steady green | Cleared to land | Cleared for takeoff | Cleared to cross/proceed |
| Flashing green | Cleared to approach airport, or return to land | Cleared to taxi | N/A |
| Steady red | Continue circling, give way to other aircraft | Stop | Stop |
| Flashing red | Airport unsafe, do not land | Immediately taxi clear of runway in use | Clear the taxiway/runway |
| Alternating red and green | Exercise extreme caution | Exercise extreme caution | Exercise extreme caution |
| Blinking runway lights | Vehicles, planes, and pedestrians immediately clear landing area in use | ||
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