NORDO
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NORDO, short for "No Radio", is an aviation term for aircraft flying without a radio. While sometimes used to denote small general aviation aircraft that are not equipped with one, the term is more commonly applied to flights that have experienced a radio failure in midair. This constituted an emergency, and these flights are given priority over other flights (providing a more serious emergency does not occur on another plane). Despite having no radio, Air Traffic Control can communicate with NORDO flights to clearances and instruction via aviation light signals. Planes may indicate a NORDO emergency situation by setting the appropriate transponder code: 7600.