1. Airport Markings & Signs
By Newton Talley
AST 323
April 22, 1999
Introducing Surface Movement
Guidance & Control System

2. I SPECIAL INFORMATION SIGNS
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 II APRON II FUEL II TERM II CIVIL II MIL II PAX
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 (Ž) 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 GUIDANCE AND CONTROL SYSTEM (SMGCS)
I PRONOUNCED “SMIGS,” THIS SYSTEM IS COVERED BY ADVISORY CIRCULAR (AC)
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 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