Airport Operations

A B G G G B B C Figure 14-27. (A) Yellow “X” placed on surface of temporarily closed runways. (B) Lighted “X” placed on temporarily closed runways. (C) Lighted “X” at night showing a temporarily closed runway. 14-15 B G G B Figure 14-26. Holding position marking on a taxiway. Temporarily Closed Runways and Taxiways For temporarily closed runways and taxiways, a visual indication is often provided with yellow “Xs” or raised lighted yellow “Xs” placed at each end of the runway. Depending on the reason for the closure, duration of closure, airfield configuration, and the existence and the hours of operation of an ATC tower, a visual indication may not be present. As discussed previously in the chapter, you must always check NOTAMs and ATIS for runway and taxiway closure information. Figure 14-27A shows an example of a yellow “X” laid flat with an adequate number of heavy sand bags to keep the wind from getting under and displacing the vinyl material. A very effective and preferable visual aid to depict temporary closure is the lighted “X” placed on or near the runway designation numbers. [Figure 14-27B and C] This device is much more discernible to approaching aircraft than the other materials described above. Other Markings Some other markings found on the airport include vehicle roadway markings, VOR receiver checkpoint markings, and non-movement area boundary markings. Airport Signs There are six types of signs that may be found at airports. The more complex the layout of an airport, the more important the signs become to pilots. Appendix C of this publication shows examples of some signs that are found at most airports, their purpose, and appropriate pilot action. The six types of • Location signs—black with yellow inscription and a signs are: yellow border, no arrows. They are used to identify a taxiway or runway location, to identify the boundary • Mandatory instruction signs—red background with of the runway, or identify an instrument landing white inscription. These signs denote an entrance to a system (ILS) critical area. runway, critical area, or prohibited area.