Figure 9-3 Air Traffic Control Tower Light Gun Signals

CHAPTER NINE

T-6A CONTACT

906.

NIGHT FIELD LIGHTING

BLUE LIGHTS: Blue lights mark all taxiways. There should be blue lights on both sides of the

taxiway.

WHITE LIGHTS: White lights mark the boundaries of the duty runway.

GREEN LIGHTS: Green lights mark the threshold of the duty runway.

RED LIGHTS: Red lights mark all obstructions on the airfield.

ROTATING BEACON: There is a rotating white and green beacon located at fields that are

open for night operations. A military airfield's white light will be split by a three degree void.

This will give the impression there are two separate, closely timed flashes of light. A civilian

airport has a solid white light and can be easily distinguished from a military field.

Memorize the following Air Traffic Control Tower Light Gun Signals (a.k.a. ALDIS lamp

signals). These are standard throughout military and civilian aviation. As the name implies,

these light signals are displayed from a colored light gun in the tower, normally in response to

radio malfunctions.

Meaning

Color and

Movement of

Aircraft on the

Aircraft in Flight

Type of

Vehicles, Equipment

Ground

Signal

and Personnel

Steady green

Cleared to cross,

Cleared for

Cleared to land

proceed or go

takeoff

Flashing green

Not applicable

Cleared for taxi

Return for landing (to be

followed by steady green at

the proper time)

Steady red

STOP

Give way to other aircraft

and continue circling

Flashing red

Clear the

Taxi clear of the Airport unsafe, do not land

taxiway/runway

runway in use

Flashing white

Return to starting

Not applicable

point on airport

Alternating

Exercise extreme

Exercise extreme Exercise extreme caution

red and green

caution

Figure 9-3 Air Traffic Control Tower Light Gun Signals

9-4

NIGHT CONTACT