Airport Markings & SignsAirport Markings & Signs

By Newton TalleyBy Newton Talley

AST 323AST 323

April 22, 1999April 22, 1999

Introducing Surface Movement Introducing Surface Movement

Guidance & Control SystemGuidance & Control System

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.

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:

MANDATORY SIGNS

LOCATION SIGNS

DIRECTION SIGNS

DESTINATION SIGNS

SPECIAL INFORMATION SIGNS

MANDATORY SIGNSMANDATORY SIGNS

WHITE INSCRIPTIONS ON A RED BACKGROUND

REQUIRES CLEARANCE BEFORE ENTERING (DUE CAUTION AT UNCONTROLLED AIRPORTS)

DO NOT CROSS UNLESS CLEARANCE HAS BEEN RECEIVED (TOWERED AIRPORT) OR UNTIL CLEAR (UNTOWERED AIRPORT)

AT RUNWAY / RUNWAY INTERSECTIONS, HOLD SHORT IF LAND AND HOLD-SHORT CLEARANCE HAS BEEN ACCEPTED

DO NOT CROSS UNLESS CLEARANCE HAS BEEN RECEIVED (TOWERED AIRPORT) OR UNTIL CLEAR (UNTOWERED AIRPORT)

AT RUNWAY / RUNWAY INTERSECTIONS, HOLD SHORT IF LAND AND HOLD-SHORT CLEARANCE HAS BEEN ACCEPTED

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

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

CONTROLLED AIRPORT -- HOLD WHEN INSTRUCTED

NONCONTROLLED AIRPORT -- PROCEED WHEN NO TRAFFIC CONFLICT EXISTS

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

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

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

INDICATES AN ILS CRITICAL AREAINDICATES AN ILS CRITICAL AREA

DO NOT ENTER

IDENTIFIES PAVED AREAS WHERE AIRCRAFT ENTRY IS PROHIBITED

INDICATES AREAS WHERE AIRCRAFT ARE FORBIDDEN TO ENTER

INDICATES AREAS WHERE AIRCRAFT ARE FORBIDDEN TO ENTER

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

INDICATES HS-1INDICATES HS-1

LOCATION SIGNSLOCATION SIGNS

YELLOW INSCRIPTIONS ON A BLACK BACKGROUND -- IDENTIFIES RUNWAYS AND TAXIWAYS

BLACK INSCRIPTION ON A YELLOW BACKGROUND -- IDENTIFIES RUNWAY OR CRITICAL AREA BOUNDARIES OF:

RUNWAY SAFETY AREA (RSA)

OBSTACLE FREE ZONE (OFZ)

INSTRUMENT LANDING SYSTEM AREAS (ILS)

IDENTIFIES TAXIWAY ON WHICH AIRCRAFT IS LOCATED

LOCATED ON THE TAXIWAYLOCATED ON THE TAXIWAY

IDENTIFIES RUNWAY ON WHICH AIRCRAFT IS LOCATED

LOCATED ON THE RUNWAYLOCATED ON THE RUNWAY

IDENTIFIES THE BOUNDARY OF THE RUNWAY PROTECTED AREA ON CONTROLLED AIRPORTS

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

LOCATED AT THE EDGE OF PROTECTED AREA FOR RUNWAY

LOCATED AT THE EDGE OF PROTECTED AREA FOR RUNWAY

IDENTIFIES THE BOUNDARY OF THE ILS CRITICAL AREA ON CONTROLLED AIRPORTS

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

LOCATED AT THE EDGE OF THE ILS CRITICAL AREA

LOCATED AT THE EDGE OF THE ILS CRITICAL AREA

INDICATES TAXIWAY DOES NOT CONTINUE

TAXIWAY ENDING MARKERTAXIWAY ENDING MARKER

DIRECTION SIGNSDIRECTION SIGNS

BLACK INSCRIPTIONS ON A YELLOW BACKGROUND (ALWAYS HAS AN ARROW)

PROVIDES DIRECTIONAL INFORMATION

ON TAXIWAYS -- PROVIDES DIRECTION TO TURN TO NEXT INTERSECTION TO MANEUVER AIRCRAFT ONTO NAMED TAXIWAY

ON RUNWAYS -- PROVIDES DIRECTION TO TURN TO EXIT RUNWAY ONTO NAMED TAXIWAY

LOCATED ON TAXIWAYS AND RUNWAYSLOCATED ON TAXIWAYS AND RUNWAYS

PROVIDES GENERAL TAXIING DIRECTION TO NAMED RUNWAY

LOCATED ON THE TAXIWAYLOCATED ON THE TAXIWAY

DESTINATION SIGNSDESTINATION SIGNS

SIMILAR TO DIRECTION SIGNS EXCEPT THAT THEY POINT TOWARD A GENERAL LOCATION SUCH AS:

APRON FUEL TERM

CIVIL MIL PAX

CARGO INT FBO

A DOT () IS READ AS “AND”

PROVIDES GENERAL TAXIING DIRECTION TO IDENTIFIED DESTINATION

LOCATED ON TAXIWAYS AND RUNWAYS

LOCATED ON TAXIWAYS AND RUNWAYS

SPECIAL INFORMATION SIGNSSPECIAL INFORMATION SIGNS

SUCH AS NOISE ABATEMENT PROCEDURES --HAVE BLACK INSCRIPTIONS ON A YELLOW BACKGROUND

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

PROVIDES REMAINING RUNWAY LENGTH IN 1,000 FOOT INCREMENTS

LOCATED ON THE RUNWAYLOCATED ON THE RUNWAY

SURFACE MOVEMENT GUIDANCEAND

CONTROL SYSTEM(SMGCS)

SURFACE MOVEMENT GUIDANCEAND

CONTROL SYSTEM(SMGCS)

PRONOUNCED “SMIGS,” THIS SYSTEM IS COVERED BY ADVISORY CIRCULAR (AC) 120-57

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

SMGCS (cont.)SMGCS (cont.)

APPLIES TO BOTH AIR CREW AND VEHICLE OPERATORS

TAXI ROUTES TO AND FROM THE SMGCS RUNWAY MUST BE DESIGNATED AND DISPLAYED ON A SMGCS LOW VISIBILITY TAXI ROUTE CHART

SMGCS FEATURES INCLUDE:SMGCS FEATURES INCLUDE:

STOP BAR LIGHTS

RUNWAY GUARD LIGHTS

TAXIWAY CENTERLINE LIGHTING

GEOGRAPHIC POSITION MARKINGS

CLEARANCE BAR LIGHTS

STOP BAR LIGHTSSTOP BAR LIGHTS

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

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

STOP BAR LIGHTS (cont.)STOP BAR LIGHTS (cont.)

WHEN TURNED OFF BY THE CONTROLLER, THEY CONFIRM CLEARANCE FOR THE PILOT OR VEHICLE TO ENTER THE RUNWAY

OPERATE IN CONJUNCTION WITH GREEN CENTERLINE LEADON LIGHTS

WARNINGWARNINGNEVER CROSS AN

ILLUMINATED

RED STOP BAR

RUNWAY GUARD LIGHTSRUNWAY GUARD LIGHTS

WILL BE INSTALLED AT ALL TAXIWAYS WHICH PROVIDE ACCESS TO AN ACTIVE RUNWAY

ALTERNATELY FLASHING YELLOW LIGHTS

USED TO DENOTE BOTH THE PRESENCE OF AN ACTIVE RUNWAY AND IDENTIFY THE LOCATION OF A RUNWAY HOLDING POSITION MARKING

TAXIWAY CENTERLINE LIGHTINGTAXIWAY CENTERLINE LIGHTING

GUIDE GROUND TRAFFIC UNDER LOW VISIBILITY CONDITIONS AND DURING DARKNESS

CONSIST OF GREEN INPAVEMENT LIGHTS

GEOGRAPHIC POSITION MARKINGSGEOGRAPHIC POSITION MARKINGS

A “PINK SPOT” OUTLINED WITH A BLACK AND WHITE CIRCLE AND DESIGNATED WITH A NUMBER AND/OR LETTER

ATC WILL VERIFY THE POSITION OF AIRCRAFT AND VEHICLES USING GEOGRAPHIC POSITION MARKINGS

CAN BE USED EITHER AS HOLD POINTS OR FOR POSITION REPORTING

CLEARANCE BAR LIGHTSCLEARANCE BAR LIGHTS

THREE YELLOW IN-PAVEMENT CLEARANCE BAR LIGHTS

USED TO DENOTE HOLDING POSITIONS FOR AIRCRAFT AND VEHICLES

CO-LOCATED WITH GEOGRAPHIC POSITION MARKINGS WHEN USED FOR HOLD POINTS

SMGCS AIRPORTS MAY NOT HAVE

ALL OF THESE FEATURES SMGCS AIRPORTS MAY NOT HAVE

ALL OF THESE FEATURES FOR ADDITIONAL SMGCS INFORMATION

REFER TO THE

AERONAUTICAL INFORMATION MANUAL

OR THE PARTICULAR AIRPORT’S

SMGCS LOW VISIBILITY TAXI ROUTE CHART