Usually one aircraft will turn on their landing lights about 2-5 miles back and wait for the other to briefly flash their lights in response. It is not uncommon to get no response because the pilots on the other aircraft may have their heads down, and not see the other aircraft.

In the aviation world, planes have several ways of "saying hello" or showing respect, depending on whether they are in the air or on the ground. The most iconic method is the "Wing Waggle," where a pilot rapidly dips the wings from side to side; this is often used as a greeting to people on the ground or to acknowledge other pilots in visual range. On the ground, particularly during a pilot’s final flight before retirement or the delivery of a brand-new aircraft, airports perform a Water Salute, where two fire trucks spray arches of water over the taxiing plane. Additionally, pilots use specific light signals; in the air, they might flash their landing lights or "wig-wag" their recognition lights. While not a "hello" in the social sense, pilots also use standardized radio phraseology like "G'day" or "Good morning" when checking in with Air Traffic Control, though strictly speaking, the "wing waggle" remains the most traditional and visually recognizable "wave" in the sky.