PA.III.B.K2· K
Signs, markings & incursion avoidance
Airport signs, markings, and runway incursion avoidance
Every incursion starts with a pilot certain where they are, and wrong.
AIRPORT OPERATIONS · PA.III.A.K4 / PA.III.B.K2
Signs, markings, and lighting
Click anything on the field — or pick it from the index — and it explains itself.
PLATE 39 · AIRPORT DIAGRAM
Nothing selected. Click a marking, sign, or light on the field above, or choose one from the index below.
Markings
Signs
Lighting
the sign colors
| Sign | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Red, white text | Mandatory — runway hold position, ILS critical area, no entry; no passing without clearance. |
| Yellow, black text | Direction / destination — arrow to taxiways, runways, or ramp. |
| Black, yellow text + border | Location — the taxiway you're on. |
| Black, white numeral | Runway distance remaining, thousands of feet. |
Black is where you are, yellow where you can go; red is the only one that stops you.
markings on the pavement
Runway markings are white. Taxiway markings are yellow.
The runway holding position marking is four yellow lines across the taxiway — two solid, two dashed — solid pair on the side away from the runway:
- Solid nearest you — approaching the runway; hold short unless cleared.
- Dashed nearest you — leaving it; you may cross without a clearance, but you aren't clear until the whole airplane, tail included, is past all four lines.
Also worth knowing:
- Displaced threshold — white arrows to a solid bar; taxi, takeoff, and rollout, but not touchdown, usually an obstacle on approach.
- Blast pad / stopway — yellow chevrons; unusable for anything.
- Aiming point — two broad white stripes ~1,000 feet down, where the VASI/PAPI puts you.
- Touchdown zone — pairs of white bars, coded to distance.
- Enhanced taxiway centerline — dashed yellow flanking it: a hold line is coming.
- ILS critical area — a yellow ladder; hold when the tower says so.
hot spots
Airport diagrams flag hot spots: intersections with a history of confusion, usually because the geometry deceives — a taxiway aimed at a runway, two hold lines close together. Brief them before you taxi.
the taxi discipline that actually works
Four habits:
Disoriented at a big field at night? Stop and ask for progressive taxi — normal, and far better than moving while confused.
Common DPE questions
Approaching a runway holding position marking, you should stop when:
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PA.III.B.R1 · Collision hazards & wake turbulence
Broader order, most to least protected: aircraft in distress, balloons, gliders, airships, towing or refueling, powered aircraft last.