Definition
To turn on a non-towered airport's runway and approach lights from the cockpit by keying the aircraft's microphone a set number of times on the published Common Traffic Advisory Frequency (CTAF) or designated lighting frequency. The system, known as Pilot-Controlled Lighting (PCL), responds to a specific keying pattern, typically 3, 5, or 7 clicks within five seconds, which sets the lights to low, medium, or high intensity for about 15 minutes.
Plain English
Turning the runway lights on yourself by pressing the radio transmit button several times in a row on the right frequency. The lights stay on for around 15 minutes so you can land or take off.
Context Anchor
Used most often during night operations at airports without an operating control tower, or when the tower is closed.
Why Pilots Care
Enables safe night landings at airports without tower staff by giving pilots control over the lighting.
Analogy
It works a little like a remote control. The radio signal is the command, and the airport lighting system responds by turning on or changing brightness.
Intuition Check
Radio-activate does not mean calling someone on the radio and asking them to turn the lights on. Here, the pilot’s radio transmission itself triggers the lighting system.
Example Sentence 1
Ten miles out, the pilot tuned to the CTAF and keyed the mic seven times to radio-activate the airport lights at full brightness.
Example Sentence 2
If the lights did not come on, the pilot tried radio-activating them again with a different click sequence.