ATC light signals in Canada: what each light means
If your radio fails, or you are flying an aircraft without one, the tower talks to you with a signal lamp. The Canada Flight Supplement puts it simply: pilots without radio equipment should observe the tower for light signals.
What each light means
| Signal | On the ground | In flight |
|---|---|---|
| Steady green | Clear for take-off | Cleared to land |
| Flashing green | Cleared to Taxi | Return to landing (to be followed by steady green at proper time) |
| Steady red | Stop | Give way to other aircraft and continue circling |
| Flashing red | Taxi clear of landing area (runway) in use | Airport unsafe-do not land |
| Flashing white | Return to starting point on airport | |
| Red pyrotechnical light | Not withstanding any previous instructions. Do not land for the time being. |
The meanings above are quoted exactly as the CFS prints them. Notice that the same colour can mean very different things depending on whether you are on the ground or in the air: a steady green on the ground is clear for take-off, and in the air it is cleared to land.
How to acknowledge
- In the daytime on the ground: movement of ailerons or rudder.
- In the daytime in the air: rock your wings.
- At night: flash your aircraft lights.
On the flight test
Transport Canada's PPL flight test, Ex. 30(g), asks you to comply with or demonstrate a practical knowledge of ATC light signals.
The light signals drill shows you the lamp and asks what it means, on the ground and in the air, then how you answer it.
Try the light signals drill → Work through a radio failure →
Sources
- Canada Flight Supplement, Emergency section: Traffic Control Light Signals
- Transport Canada Flight Test Guide, Private Pilot Licence (TP 13723), Ex. 30 Radio Communication (g)