Light Gun Signals and Lost Communication

When the radio quits, a control tower can still direct you with a light gun. In flight, a steady green means cleared to land, a steady red means give way and keep circling, a flashing green means return for landing, a flashing red means the airport is unsafe so do not land, and alternating red and green means exercise extreme caution. On the ground the signals shift meaning, and a flashing white tells you to return to your starting point. The lost-communication procedure begins with squawking 7600 and troubleshooting the obvious first — volume, the selected frequency, and headset connections — because many apparent failures are just configuration errors. A VFR pilot then stays in visual conditions, proceeds to a suitable airport, and watches the tower for a light gun signal to receive a landing clearance.