I hope the answer is better than “winging it.”
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There are a lot of radio navigation systems on board airplanes. Of course they use GPS which is integrated into their navigation instruments but the airport is also sending out different radio signals in different directions that the airplanes can tune into in order to know where they are in relation to the airport and runway. These are called VOR, ILS and GSI and get the airplanes very close to the runway. Once they are lined up for the approach and getting close they might be able to see some of the strong lights at the runway. One of the systems is called PAPI and consists of four spotlights aimed at the incoming airplanes, depending on the angle they show different colors indicating to the pilots if they are comming inn too high or too low. To find out when they hit the runway the airplanes have a radar to measure the distance to the ground with a voice reading out the distance as they approach the ground.
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