The coolest thing about the lights is that they are an integral part of scoring higher point totals in the game. In fact, this is the first video game to employ pinball logic -- integrating the light sequence and behavior into the scoring of the game...
If you land successfully on a jump, the letter that was illuminated at the time of the jump stays lit solid for the rest of the game. IF you manage to spell out the word SKYDIVER you get double points for every successful landing after that.
Sounds easy but since the lights illuminate at a specific rate - only in the left-right direction, and each pass of your airplane begins immediately after the previous jump finishes, you may have to land successfully many, many times before getting the timing right to obtain one specific letter... say the D for example.
Did I mention that the planes come on the screen progressively lower as the game continues and from alternating sides, left-right then right-left...
or that the wind speed varies (which basically cancels out your steering with the deployed chute)...
or that the landing platforms are in a different spot each time...
or that the longer you freefall the higher your points for a successful landing BUT the landing pad shrinks the longer you free fall too making the landing much harder to score.
"Cute" game that was brilliant from the gameplay standpoint.