Fascinating. I'm curious whether these are always lit at night, or only automatically turn on for each landing? (Being ignorant about how approach lights work in general).
Some are lit all night. Some are turned off at night. Planes landing after hours can sometimes use a radio frequency to turn on lights remotely for a time to land. Not sure if all work the same, but it is possible.
Edit: It is called Pilot Controlled Lighting. Some cool Youtube videos show it in action.
Edit: It is called Pilot Controlled Lighting. Some cool Youtube videos show it in action.