Pilot-controlled lighting

Pilot-controlled lighting (PCL) is like turning on and off the lights in your bedroom. Just like how you flip a switch to turn on the light, pilots can use a radio to turn on and off the lights on an airport runway.

When pilots are flying their planes at night, they need to be able to see the runway so they can safely land. But, they can't just rely on the sun like they can during the day. So, airports have lights installed along the runway to help guide the pilots. These lights are usually turned on and off automatically based on what time it is, or whether it's dark outside yet.

Sometimes though, pilots need to turn on the lights before they get close enough for the automatic system to detect them. This is where pilot-controlled lighting comes in. The pilot uses their radio to send a specific signal to the airport control tower, asking them to turn on the lights. The control tower then sends a signal back, telling the lights to turn on.

It's kind of like a secret code! The pilot has to know the right thing to say to the control tower, and the control tower has to know the right thing to send back to the lights. But once they do it right, the lights turn on and the pilot can safely land their plane.