Light Gun: ATC Light Gun Signals Quiz
A free reaction and memory game about tower light gun signals. Radio dead? Here is what the light says.
How to play
- A tower light gun points at your aircraft. You are either on the ground, taxiing, or in flight.
- Pick what the signal means from the four buttons before the clock runs out. Keys 1 to 4 also work.
- You have three lives. A wrong or slow answer costs one and shows the correct meaning.
- Each round the clock shrinks. Fast answers and combos score more.
- Later rounds ask you to acknowledge the signal, which is the other half of the rule.
- The Daily Challenge gives everyone the same 20 signals each day. Share your result grid.
Light gun signals chart
These meanings follow FAA AIM 4-3-13 and 14 CFR 91.125. Check the current AIM for any later changes.
| Signal | In flight | On the ground |
|---|---|---|
| Steady green | Cleared to land | Cleared for takeoff |
| Flashing green | Return for landing (to be followed by steady green at the proper time) | Cleared to taxi |
| Steady red | Give way to other aircraft and continue circling | Stop |
| Flashing red | Airport unsafe, do not land | Taxi clear of the runway in use |
| Flashing white | Not applicable | Return to starting point on airport |
| Alternating red and green | Exercise extreme caution | Exercise extreme caution |
Acknowledging a signal: in flight, rock your wings by day, or at night flash your landing lights (or blink your navigation lights if you have no landing lights). On the ground, move your ailerons or rudder by day, or at night flash your landing or navigation lights.
Lost comms signals
If your radio fails, the tower can still talk to you with a light gun. AIM 4-3-13 and 14 CFR 91.125 cover these signals, so learn them before you need them.
Keep the chart in your flight bag. For how the radio side works, see how ADS-B works.
Questions pilots ask
What does a flashing green light gun signal mean?
In flight it means return for landing, to be followed by a steady green light at the proper time. On the ground it means cleared to taxi.
Does flashing white mean anything in flight?
No. Flashing white is not applicable in flight. On the ground it means return to your starting point on the airport.
How do I acknowledge a light gun signal at night?
In flight at night, flash your landing lights or blink your navigation lights if you have no landing lights. On the ground at night, flash your landing or navigation lights.
What does alternating red and green mean?
Exercise extreme caution. It has the same meaning in flight and on the ground.
More games
- Cleared to Land, the approach game
- Tower Hunt
- SQUAWKLE, the daily aviation word game
- SQUAWK 1200, a side-scroller for pilots
- All of Stratux Arcade