![]() ![]() In the photo above you can see the green taxiway lights leading off of the runway to a taxiway. The center line lights are embedded in the pavement and are green. Taxiway centerline lighting is typically only at larger airports. They often can be adjusted in intensity the same as all lighting on the airport, with 3 radio clicks for low, 5 for medium, and 7 for high. Shorter runways will have shorter touchdown zones. There should always be at least a 1,800′ gap between the touchdown zone markings on either end of the runway (so you don’t get confused looking at markings that are meant to be there if you were landing from the other direction). The touchdown zone can be up to 3,000′ long. If the touchdown zone marking would be within 160′ of the aiming point it will not be painted. This is because it would be too close to the aiming point and easy to confuse with the aiming point. You may also notice how there is not a marking 500′ after the first marking with three lines. Notice how the marking in the first 1,000′ of the runway has three lines, then goes to two lines for the 2nd 1,000′ of the runway, then one line on either side. Touchdown zone markings consist of either one, two, or three parallel lines painted 75′ long on the runway with 425′ in between the markings (500′ segments). Of course, the actual performance data on your aircraft will dictate whether that rule works for you or not on that particular runway. The touchdown zone of the runway is where you should be able to get your aircraft onto the ground! We always say as a rule of thumb that if you don’t land on the first third of the runway, then just go around, and that is a good rule of thumb. Don’t call them the thousand foot markers! The aiming point is preferably placed around 1020′ from the runway threshold however, it will vary based on the runway gradient (slope), and a number of other factors, and it is not a set number. This may be the case for a glider pilot sitting very close to the ground, but a pilot of a larger airplane (especially larger jets where precision really matters) must have their wheels touch the runway right in between the two Aiming Point stripes. Some say the PAPIs being located further down the runway would incorrectly make a pilot land just beyond the aiming point. Notice how the PAPIs are installed to the left of the runway just past the Aiming Point (the aiming point is often referred to as the “thousand foot makers”). The width also varies with the width of the runway. The aiming point is designated by the FAA to be painted 150′ long on runways 4,200′ or longer or 100′ long on shorter runways. Whether you are a VFR or IFR pilot, seeing the aiming point in your windscreen gives you valuable information to tell if you are descending too steep or too shallow. The aiming point on the runway (any runway) is your best friend when making a nice smooth stable approach. If you are an instrument pilot and trying to gauge what 1/2sm (or 2400 rvr) looks like, you should be able to see 12 stripes down the runway. They are painted 120 feet long, with 80′ gaps between them. Runway centerline stripes are a minimum width of: The FAA has standardized how these stripes are painted and what they mean to you. However, there’s more than meets the eye. This one should be obvious, it’s the big white stripes in the middle of the runway. You can see them in the picture below where the runway edge line is painted white and the yellow angled striped over the darker asphalt to the sides of the runway denote the shoulder. The shoulder area is not intended for use by aircraft. Runway shoulder stripes are used to denote the sides of the runway past the runway edge white line. A demarcation bar is 3 feet (1m) wide and yellow, since it is not located on the runway. (note: if the Threshold Stripes do not correlate to the width of the runway there should just be 8 stripes as a standard) Demarcation BarĪ demarcation bar delineates a runway with a displaced threshold from a blast pad, stopway, or taxiway that precedes the runway. How many stripes there are tells you how wide the runway is. Runway threshold stripes denote how wide the runway is (sometimes incorrectly referred to as piano keys). Now let’s take a look at the examples below: Runway Threshold Stripe (The Piano Keys) First off, what type of markings can we expect on which runways? Although these painted lines don’t light up, they are very helpful at night and in low visibility conditions. Runways have lots of markings on them, and it’s not just by coincidence. The category they are in dictates what types of markings you will find. Runways fall into one of three categories: RCLM-Runway Center Line Markings (paint on the runway).There are lots of different lights out there to help you find your way at night and in low visibility. ![]()
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