If you signal a plane from a life raft, what is the expected acknowledgment signal?

When signaling a plane from a life raft, the anticipated acknowledgment signal is that the plane will tilt its wings back and forth. This action acts as a visual method of communication, indicating that the aircraft has seen the signal and is responding to it.

The practice of tilting the wings as a signal is widely recognized in aviation, as it provides a clear and distinct visual acknowledgment that is easily recognizable from a distance. Other signal methods, like circling the raft or dropping a note, may occur in specific circumstances but are not standard acknowledgment signals. Light up a flare could indeed be used for signaling, but it does not serve as an acknowledgment from the aircraft itself, rather it is a distress signal to attract attention. Thus, the wing tilt is the preferred method for a pilot to convey that they have observed the signaling from the life raft.