Airport Markings

1
Airport Markings Signs

• By Newton Talley
• AST 323
• April 22, 1999

• Introducing Surface Movement
• Guidance Control System

2
AIRPORT SIGNS AND MARKING PROVIDE INFORMATION
THAT IS USEFUL TO GROUND VEHICLE OPERATORS WHEN
OPERATING ON THE AIRPORT AND TO PILOTS DURING
TAKEOFF, LANDING, OR TAXIING.

• TYPES FOUND ON AIRPORTS INCLUDE
• I MANDATORY SIGNS
• I LOCATION SIGNS
• I DIRECTION SIGNS
• I DESTINATION SIGNS
• I SPECIAL INFORMATION SIGNS

3
MANDATORY SIGNS

• I WHITE INSCRIPTIONS ON A RED BACKGROUND
• I REQUIRES CLEARANCE BEFORE ENTERING (DUE CAUTION
  AT UNCONTROLLED AIRPORTS)

4
LOCATED ON TAXIWAYS AT INTERSECTION WITH RUNWAY
AND AT RUNWAY/RUNWAY INTERSECTION

• I DO NOT CROSS UNLESS CLEARANCE HAS BEEN RECEIVED
  (TOWERED AIRPORT) OR UNTIL CLEAR (UNTOWERED
  AIRPORT)
• I AT RUNWAY / RUNWAY INTERSECTIONS, HOLD SHORT IF
  LAND AND HOLD-SHORT CLEARANCE HAS BEEN ACCEPTED

5
LOCATED AT THE HOLD POSITION ON A TAXIWAY LOCATED
IN RUNWAY APPROACH OR DEPARTURE AREA HOLD

• I CONTROLLED AIRPORT -- HOLD WHEN INSTRUCTED
• I NONCONTROLLED AIRPORT -- PROCEED WHEN NO
  TRAFFIC CONFLICT EXISTS

6
INDICATES AN ILS CRITICAL AREA

• I HOLD WHEN INSTRUCTED BY ATC WHEN APPROACHES ARE
  BEING MADE WITH VISIBILITY LESS THAN 2 MILES OR
  CEILING LESS THAN 800 FEET

7
INDICATES AREAS WHERE AIRCRAFT ARE FORBIDDEN TO
ENTER

• I DO NOT ENTER
• I IDENTIFIES PAVED AREAS WHERE AIRCRAFT ENTRY IS
  PROHIBITED

8
INDICATES HS-1

• I LAND AND HOLD SHORT POINT FOR OTHER THAN
  INTERSECTING RUNWAYS AS INSTRUCTED BY ATC

9
LOCATION SIGNS

• I YELLOW INSCRIPTIONS ON A BLACK BACKGROUND --
  IDENTIFIES RUNWAYS AND TAXIWAYS
• I BLACK INSCRIPTION ON A YELLOW BACKGROUND --
  IDENTIFIES RUNWAY OR CRITICAL AREA BOUNDARIES OF
• II RUNWAY SAFETY AREA (RSA)
• II OBSTACLE FREE ZONE (OFZ)
• II INSTRUMENT LANDING SYSTEM AREAS (ILS)

10
LOCATED ON THE TAXIWAY

• I IDENTIFIES TAXIWAY ON WHICH AIRCRAFT IS LOCATED

11
LOCATED ON THE RUNWAY

• I IDENTIFIES RUNWAY ON WHICH AIRCRAFT IS LOCATED

12
LOCATED AT THE EDGE OF PROTECTED AREA FOR RUNWAY

• I IDENTIFIES THE BOUNDARY OF THE RUNWAY PROTECTED
  AREA ON CONTROLLED AIRPORTS
• I IT IS INTENDED THAT PILOTS EXITING THIS AREA
  WOULD USE THIS SIGN AS A GUIDE TO JUDGE WHEN THE
  AIRCRAFT IS CLEAR OF THE PROTECTED AREA

13
LOCATED AT THE EDGE OF THE ILS CRITICAL AREA

• I IDENTIFIES THE BOUNDARY OF THE ILS CRITICAL
  AREA ON CONTROLLED AIRPORTS
• I IT IS INTENDED THAT PILOTS EXITING THIS AREA
  WOULD USE THIS SIGN AS A GUIDE TO JUDGE WHEN THE
  AIRCRAFT IS CLEAR OF THE ILS CRITICAL AREA

14
TAXIWAY ENDING MARKER

• I INDICATES TAXIWAY DOES NOT CONTINUE

15
DIRECTION SIGNS

• I BLACK INSCRIPTIONS ON A YELLOW BACKGROUND
  (ALWAYS HAS AN ARROW)
• I PROVIDES DIRECTIONAL INFORMATION

16
LOCATED ON TAXIWAYS AND RUNWAYS

• I ON TAXIWAYS -- PROVIDES DIRECTION TO TURN TO
  NEXT INTERSECTION TO MANEUVER AIRCRAFT ONTO NAMED
  TAXIWAY
• I ON RUNWAYS -- PROVIDES DIRECTION TO TURN TO
  EXIT RUNWAY ONTO NAMED TAXIWAY

17
LOCATED ON THE TAXIWAY

• I PROVIDES GENERAL TAXIING DIRECTION TO NAMED
  RUNWAY

18
DESTINATION SIGNS

• I SIMILAR TO DIRECTION SIGNS EXCEPT THAT THEY
  POINT TOWARD A GENERAL LOCATION SUCH AS
• II APRON II FUEL II TERM
• II CIVIL II MIL II PAX
• II CARGO II INT II FBO
• I A DOT (?) IS READ AS AND

19
LOCATED ON TAXIWAYS AND RUNWAYS

• I PROVIDES GENERAL TAXIING DIRECTION TO
  IDENTIFIED DESTINATION

20
SPECIAL INFORMATION SIGNS

• I SUCH AS NOISE ABATEMENT PROCEDURES --HAVE BLACK
  INSCRIPTIONS ON A YELLOW BACKGROUND
• I DISTANCE REMAINING SIGNS HAVE A SINGLE WHITE
  NUMBER ON A BLACK BACKGROUND 20 TO 75 FEET FROM
  THE PAVEMENT EDGE, DEPENDING UPON THE SIZE OF THE
  SIGN

21
LOCATED ON THE RUNWAY

• I PROVIDES REMAINING RUNWAY LENGTH IN 1,000 FOOT
  INCREMENTS

22
SURFACE MOVEMENT GUIDANCEANDCONTROL
SYSTEM(SMGCS)

• I PRONOUNCED SMIGS, THIS SYSTEM IS COVERED BY
  ADVISORY CIRCULAR (AC) 120-57
• I REQUIRES A LOW VISIBILITY TAXI PLAN FOR ANY
  AIRPORT WHICH HAS TAKEOFF OR LANDING OPERATIONS
  WITH LESS THAN 1,200 FEET RUNWAY VISUAL RANGE
  (RVR) VISIBILITY CONDITIONS

23
SMGCS (cont.)

• I APPLIES TO BOTH AIR CREW AND VEHICLE OPERATORS
• I TAXI ROUTES TO AND FROM THE SMGCS RUNWAY MUST
  BE DESIGNATED AND DISPLAYED ON A SMGCS LOW
  VISIBILITY TAXI ROUTE CHART

24
SMGCS FEATURES INCLUDE

• I STOP BAR LIGHTS
• I RUNWAY GUARD LIGHTS
• I TAXIWAY CENTERLINE LIGHTING
• I GEOGRAPHIC POSITION MARKINGS
• I CLEARANCE BAR LIGHTS

25
STOP BAR LIGHTS

• I REQUIRED AT INTERSECTIONS OF AN ILLUMINATED
  (CENTERLINE LIGHTED) TAXIWAY AND AN ACTIVE RUNWAY
  FOR OPERATIONS LESS THAN 600 FEET RVR

• I CONSIST OF A ROW OF RED UNIDIRECTIONAL,
  IN-PAVEMENT LIGHTS INSTALLED ALONG THE HOLDING
  POSITION MARKING

26
STOP BAR LIGHTS (cont.)

• I WHEN TURNED OFF BY THE CONTROLLER, THEY CONFIRM
  CLEARANCE FOR THE PILOT OR VEHICLE TO ENTER THE
  RUNWAY
• I OPERATE IN CONJUNCTION WITH GREEN CENTERLINE
  LEADON LIGHTS

27
WARNING

• NEVER CROSS AN
• ILLUMINATED
• RED STOP BAR

28
RUNWAY GUARD LIGHTS

• I WILL BE INSTALLED AT ALL TAXIWAYS WHICH PROVIDE
  ACCESS TO AN ACTIVE RUNWAY
• I ALTERNATELY FLASHING YELLOW LIGHTS
• I USED TO DENOTE BOTH THE PRESENCE OF AN ACTIVE
  RUNWAY AND IDENTIFY THE LOCATION OF A RUNWAY
  HOLDING POSITION MARKING

29
TAXIWAY CENTERLINE LIGHTING

• I GUIDE GROUND TRAFFIC UNDER LOW VISIBILITY
  CONDITIONS AND DURING DARKNESS
• I CONSIST OF GREEN INPAVEMENT LIGHTS

30
GEOGRAPHIC POSITION MARKINGS

• I A PINK SPOT OUTLINED WITH A BLACK AND WHITE
  CIRCLE AND DESIGNATED WITH A NUMBER AND/OR LETTER
• I ATC WILL VERIFY THE POSITION OF AIRCRAFT AND
  VEHICLES USING GEOGRAPHIC POSITION MARKINGS
• I CAN BE USED EITHER AS HOLD POINTS OR FOR
  POSITION REPORTING

31
CLEARANCE BAR LIGHTS

• I THREE YELLOW IN-PAVEMENT CLEARANCE BAR LIGHTS
• I USED TO DENOTE HOLDING POSITIONS FOR AIRCRAFT
  AND VEHICLES
• I CO-LOCATED WITH GEOGRAPHIC POSITION MARKINGS
  WHEN USED FOR HOLD POINTS

32
SMGCS AIRPORTS MAY NOT HAVEALL OF THESE FEATURES

• FOR ADDITIONAL SMGCS INFORMATION
• REFER TO THE
• AERONAUTICAL INFORMATION MANUAL
• OR THE PARTICULAR AIRPORTS
• SMGCS LOW VISIBILITY TAXI ROUTE CHART