Reference: 7110.65T Air Traffic Control Manual
for an aircraft on the ground: Taxi clear of landing area or runway in use
for aircraft in the air: Airport unsafe- Do not land
for vehicles on the ground: Clear the taxiway/runway
Exercise extreme caution.
It means get off the runway now, or, if flying, do not land here.
Red=stop red flashing= light is broken, use your judgement in crossing.
A flashing red traffic light is used the same way as a stop sign. You treat a flashing red traffic light the same way you do as a stop sign. If the traffic light is "blacked-out", it's to be treated as an all-way stop. What I do when I come up to a flashing red traffic light, I look at the cross-traffic signals to see if they're also flashing red, or if they're flashing yellow to see if they stop or if they don't stop.
The red flashing traffic light means that you are to come to a stop, yield to other traffic and then you can procede when the way is clear.
It's fancy wording for one of two things. (1) You ran a stop sign. (2) You ran a red light. Either one is a traffic violation, and gets you a ticket. Any device that can legally be used to control traffic such as a sign or a flashing light is also a traffic control device.
If your aircraft is on the ground, a steady red light from the control tower light gun means STOP. If you are airborne, a steady red light means to give way to other aircraft, and continue circling.
Traffic approaching the light is to stop. If the way is clear, traffic can then proceed through the intersection.
It tells you to proceed with caution.
If the aircraft is in flight, a steady green light signal from the control tower means cleared to land. If the aircraft is on the ground, it means cleared for takeoff. If the light is aimed at ground vehicles or foot traffic, steady green means cleared to cross the runway, or proceed.
If you mean the light gun signals from the control tower- to vehicles, and aircraft on the ground, get off the runway. For aircraft in flight, runway is unsafe, do not land.
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