ACS Alignment

FAA-S-ACS-15 — Private Pilot, Rotorcraft–Helicopter · Area of Operation III. Airport & Heliport Operations · Task: Communications, Light Signals & Runway Lighting

PA.III.A.K1 — radio comms & phraseology PA.III.A.K2 — ATC light-gun signals PA.III.A.K3 — airport/heliport markings & signs

Communications, Light Signals & Markings

Talking to ATC, reading the airport, and what to do when the radio quits.

By the end of this lesson you can:

Use standard radio phraseology and the right frequency at towered and non-towered fields.
Interpret ATC light-gun signals for an aircraft in flight and on the ground.
Identify common airport/heliport markings and signs.
Apply lost-communication basics for VFR operations.

1 · Radio communications

Good radio work is brief and standard: who you're calling, who you are, where you are, what you want. At a towered field you talk to ATC (ground, tower, approach); at a non-towered field you self-announce on the CTAF and listen for traffic. Use the phonetic alphabet, read back hold-short and runway/clearance instructions, and keep transmissions concise. Helicopters often request operations to/from spots, taxiways, or ramps — state your intentions clearly.

2 · ATC light-gun signals (radio-out)

If your radio fails, the tower communicates with a light gun. Know these cold:

Signal	Aircraft in flight	Aircraft on the ground
Steady green	Cleared to land	Cleared for takeoff
Flashing green	Return for landing (followed by steady green)	Cleared to taxi
Steady red	Give way / continue circling	Stop
Flashing red	Airport unsafe — do not land	Taxi clear of the runway in use
Flashing white	(n/a)	Return to starting point on the airport
/Alternating red & green	Exercise extreme caution	Exercise extreme caution

3 · Watch: light signals explained

Curated reference clip — “Light Signals for Pilots | A Visual Guide to ATC Communication,” Ryan Dale / 3G Heli Prep (YouTube). Embedded with the creator's player; we don't host or alter it.

4 · Airport & heliport markings

Read the airport like a map. Runway markings are white; taxiway markings and signs are yellow. A solid double-yellow line is a hold-short marking — don't cross without a clearance. Mandatory signs (e.g., runway holding position) are red with white text; location signs are black with yellow text; direction/destination signs are yellow with black text. Heliports are marked with an “H” and may have a TLOF (touchdown/liftoff area) and FATO (final approach & takeoff area); learn the markings for the pads you'll actually use.

5 · Lost communications (VFR)

If you lose comms VFR: squawk 7600, continue to look for light-gun signals, and proceed per the AIM — remain clear of/avoid conflicting with traffic, and land where you can do so safely. Continuing to fly the aircraft and watching the tower come first; sorting out the radio is secondary.

6 · Reference sources

Use the authoritative references

📄 AIM 4-3 — Airport operations & light-gun signals (4-3-13) 📄 FAA Helicopter Flying Handbook — heliport operations 📄 AIM 2-3 — Airport marking aids & signs

Risk management (the “Consider”): two failure modes dominate here — a missed or misread hold-short instruction (a runway-incursion risk) and confusion when the radio quits. Defend against both by reading back every hold-short and runway instruction verbatim, and by knowing the light-gun signals well enough that a radio failure is an inconvenience, not an emergency.