Airport Markings & Signs

By Newton Talley
AST 323
April 22, 1999

Introducing Surface Movement

Guidance & 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.

TYPES FOUND ON AIRPORTS INCLUDE:

I MANDATORY SIGNS
I LOCATION SIGNS
I DIRECTION SIGNS
I DESTINATION SIGNS
I SPECIAL INFORMATION SIGNS
 MANDATORY SIGNS

I WHITE INSCRIPTIONS ON A RED BACKGROUND

I REQUIRES CLEARANCE BEFORE ENTERING

(DUE CAUTION AT UNCONTROLLED AIRPORTS)
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
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
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
INDICATES AREAS WHERE
AIRCRAFT ARE FORBIDDEN
TO ENTER

I DO NOT ENTER

I IDENTIFIES PAVED AREAS WHERE AIRCRAFT

ENTRY IS PROHIBITED
INDICATES HS-1

I LAND AND HOLD SHORT POINT FOR OTHER

THAN INTERSECTING RUNWAYS AS
INSTRUCTED BY ATC
 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)
 LOCATED ON THE TAXIWAY

I IDENTIFIES TAXIWAY ON WHICH AIRCRAFT IS

LOCATED
LOCATED ON THE RUNWAY

I IDENTIFIES RUNWAY ON WHICH AIRCRAFT IS

LOCATED
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
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
TAXIWAY ENDING MARKER

I INDICATES TAXIWAY DOES NOT CONTINUE

 DIRECTION SIGNS

I BLACK INSCRIPTIONS ON A YELLOW

BACKGROUND (ALWAYS HAS AN ARROW)

I PROVIDES DIRECTIONAL INFORMATION

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
LOCATED ON THE
TAXIWAY

I PROVIDES GENERAL TAXIING DIRECTION TO

NAMED RUNWAY
 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”

 LOCATED ON
TAXIWAYS AND
RUNWAYS

I PROVIDES GENERAL TAXIING DIRECTION TO

IDENTIFIED DESTINATION
 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
 LOCATED ON THE RUNWAY

I PROVIDES REMAINING RUNWAY LENGTH IN

1,000 FOOT INCREMENTS
 SURFACE MOVEMENT GUIDANCE
AND
CONTROL 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
 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
 SMGCS FEATURES INCLUDE:

I STOP BAR LIGHTS

I RUNWAY GUARD LIGHTS

I TAXIWAY CENTERLINE LIGHTING

I GEOGRAPHIC POSITION MARKINGS

I CLEARANCE BAR LIGHTS

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
 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
 WARNING
NEVER CROSS AN
ILLUMINATED
RED STOP BAR
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
TAXIWAY CENTERLINE
LIGHTING

I GUIDE GROUND TRAFFIC UNDER LOW

VISIBILITY CONDITIONS AND DURING DARKNESS

I CONSIST OF GREEN INPAVEMENT LIGHTS

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
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
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