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Airport markings and signs for drone pilots
Runway markings are white, while taxiway, closed-area and holding position markings are yellow. A runway number is one tenth of the magnetic heading rounded to the nearest whole number, a displaced threshold has arrows and a 10 foot bar, and a yellow cross at each end means the runway is closed.
Why would a drone pilot need to read airport markings?
You will probably not taxi an aircraft, but you may fly near an airport, study the test's airport figures, or use airport diagrams to plan a flight. 14 CFR 107.43 says no person may operate a small unmanned aircraft in a manner that interferes with operations and traffic patterns at any airport, heliport or seaplane base, and 107.41 requires prior ATC authorization to operate in Class B, C or D airspace or inside the surface area of Class E airspace designated for an airport. The test supplement (FAA-CT-8080-2H) includes airport figures that ask you to recognize what a marking or sign means: Figure 47 shows VASI illustrations, Figures 48 and 49 are airport diagrams, Figure 50 is a wind sock, Figure 64 is Airport Markings and Figure 65 is U.S. Airport Signs.
The AIM says airport markings and signs provide information that is useful to a pilot during takeoff, landing and taxiing. This page follows AIM 2-3 and the AIM paragraphs on visual indicators. For radio calls, traffic pattern legs and ATIS see airport operations and radio basics.
Sources (checked 2026-11-14): 14 CFR 107.43 (eCFR); 14 CFR 107.41 (eCFR); FAA airman testing supplements (FAA-CT-8080-2H); FAA Aeronautical Information Manual.
What do the marking colors mean?
AIM 2-3-2 gives the color rule: markings for runways are white. Markings for taxiways, for areas not intended for use by aircraft (closed and hazardous areas), and for holding positions, even if they are on a runway, are yellow. Heliport landing areas are white too, except hospital heliports, which use a red H on a white cross.
| Marking | Color | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Runway number, centerline, threshold, aiming point, touchdown zone | White | Runway identity and landing zones |
| Taxiway centerline and edge | Yellow | Aircraft taxi route |
| Runway holding position | Yellow | Aircraft must stop |
| Closed runway cross, chevrons, demarcation bar | Yellow | Area closed or unusable |
Sources (checked 2026-11-14): FAA Aeronautical Information Manual.
How are runway numbers worked out?
AIM 2-3-3 says the runway number is the whole number nearest one-tenth of the magnetic azimuth of the runway centerline, measured clockwise from magnetic north, from the approach direction. The letters L, R and C tell parallel runways apart: L and R for two parallel runways, and L, C and R for three.
Worked example
From heading to number
Say a runway points 184 degrees magnetic. One tenth is 18.4, so the nearest whole number is 18, and the runway is Runway 18. The other end of the runway points the opposite way, 004 degrees, which rounds to 0 and is painted as 36, so the other end is Runway 36. A runway at 87 degrees magnetic gives 8.7, which rounds to 9. That is why you see 9 and 27 painted at the two ends of an east-west runway. Pairs of numbers always differ by 18 (for example 09 and 27, 18 and 36).
Sources (checked 2026-11-14): FAA Aeronautical Information Manual.
What is a displaced threshold?
A threshold is the beginning of the runway available for landing. AIM 2-3-3 says a displaced threshold is located at a point other than the designated beginning of the runway, which reduces the length available for landing. The portion behind a displaced threshold is available for takeoffs in either direction and landings from the opposite direction.
The marking is easy to recognize: a ten foot wide white threshold bar across the runway at the displaced threshold, white arrows along the centerline between the beginning of the runway and the displaced threshold, and white arrowheads across the runway just before the threshold bar. A demarcation bar, 3 feet wide and yellow, separates a runway with a displaced threshold from a blast pad, stopway or taxiway that precedes it.
A relocated threshold is a different case. When construction or maintenance requires it, the threshold is moved toward the far end, which closes a portion of the approach end and also shortens the runway for the opposite direction. The airport operator should issue a NOTAM identifying the closed portion, and the AIM says the airport operator should avoid language that confuses relocated and displaced thresholds.
Sources (checked 2026-11-14): FAA Aeronautical Information Manual.
What are chevrons and the X on a runway?
AIM 2-3-3 says yellow chevrons show pavement areas aligned with the runway that are unusable for landing, takeoff and taxiing. Chevrons also mark an Engineered Materials Arresting System (EMAS), which sits in the safety area beyond the runway end and may be as close as 35 feet. The AIM says aircraft and ground vehicles should never taxi or drive across the EMAS.
AIM 2-3-6 covers closed runways. A permanently closed runway has its lighting circuits disconnected, its threshold, designation and touchdown markings obliterated, and yellow crosses placed at each end and at 1,000 foot intervals. A temporarily closed runway has yellow crosses at each end only, or a raised lighted yellow cross may be used instead. The AIM adds that a visual indication may not be present, depending on the reason and duration of the closure, so check NOTAMs and the ATIS for closure information. Temporarily closed taxiways are usually barricaded as hazardous areas, or marked with a yellow cross at each entrance.
Quick rule: yellow X on a runway means the runway is closed. Yellow chevrons mean do not use that pavement. White arrows and a bar mean the runway continues but landing starts later.
Sources (checked 2026-11-14): FAA Aeronautical Information Manual.
What are holding position markings?
AIM 2-3-5 says runway holding position markings show where aircraft must stop when approaching a runway. They are four yellow lines, two solid and two dashed, spaced six or twelve inches apart, extending across the width of the taxiway or runway. The solid lines are always on the side where the aircraft must hold. When ATC says "hold short of Runway XX", the aircraft must stop so that no part extends beyond the marking. At an airport with an operating tower, aircraft must not cross the marking without ATC clearance. At airports without a tower, pilots must ensure adequate separation from other aircraft, vehicles and pedestrians before crossing.
The AIM lists other hold markings: two solid yellow lines spaced two feet apart connected by pairs of lines every ten feet for an ILS critical area, a single dashed line for intersecting taxiways, and holding position markings on runways used for land-and-hold-short operations. A taxiway enhanced centerline, which adds parallel yellow dashes for up to 150 feet before a runway holding position, warns the pilot to prepare to stop.
Sources (checked 2026-11-14): FAA Aeronautical Information Manual.
What do the airport sign colors mean?
AIM 2-3-7 names six sign types: mandatory instruction, location, direction, destination, information, and runway distance remaining.
| Sign type | Colors | What it tells the pilot |
|---|---|---|
| Mandatory instruction | White inscription on red | Entrance to a runway or critical area, or an area where aircraft are prohibited (includes runway holding position signs) |
| Taxiway or runway location | Yellow inscription on black, yellow border | The taxiway or runway on which the aircraft is located |
| Direction | Black on yellow | Designation of intersecting taxiways with arrows for the turn |
| Destination | Black on yellow | Taxi route to a destination such as APRON, FUEL, TERM or an outbound runway |
| Information | Black on yellow | Areas not visible from the tower, radio frequencies, noise abatement |
| Runway distance remaining | White numeral on black | Distance of runway remaining, in thousands of feet; the "1" sign is at least 950 feet from the runway end |
A runway boundary sign has a yellow background with a black inscription and a graphic of the holding position marking. It faces the runway so a pilot exiting can see when they are clear of the runway. AIM 2-3-8 gives an example of a holding position sign reading 15-33, where the numbers are arranged to match the runway thresholds: the threshold of Runway 15 is to the left and Runway 33 to the right.
Sources (checked 2026-11-14): FAA Aeronautical Information Manual.
How do pilots read the segmented circle and wind indicators?
AIM 4-3-4 describes the segmented circle visual indicator system used at airports without an operating control tower. It consists of the segmented circle itself, a wind direction indicator (a wind cone, wind sock or wind tee), a landing direction indicator (a tetrahedron), landing strip indicators in pairs, and traffic pattern indicators in pairs. Key facts:
- The large end of a wind sock or wind cone points into the wind, and so does the cross bar of a wind tee.
- The small end of a tetrahedron points in the direction of landing. The AIM warns against using a tetrahedron as a wind indicator.
- All turns are to the left unless a traffic pattern indicator shows right turns.
- At an airport with a tower, tower instructions supersede tetrahedron indications.
Segmented circles also help a drone pilot read the likely pattern, which supports the 107.43 duty not to interfere with it.
Sources (checked 2026-11-14): FAA Aeronautical Information Manual.
What is a VASI?
AIM 2-1-2 says a Visual Approach Slope Indicator is a system of lights that gives visual descent guidance during an approach to a runway. It is built from light units arranged in bars (near, middle, far), and each unit projects a beam with a white segment in the upper part and a red segment in the lower part. A pilot who is above the glide path sees white, and a pilot below sees red. Two-bar installations give one glide path, normally 3 degrees. Three-bar installations give two, with the upper path about a quarter degree higher for high cockpit aircraft. The AIM adds that VASI lights are visible 3 to 5 miles by day and 20 miles or more at night, and that descent should not be started until the aircraft is visually aligned with the runway.
Related lighting: PAPI uses a single row of two or four light units, and tri-color systems use red below the path, green on the path and amber above. A test figure on VASI illustrations shows the bars from the pilot's view, so you only need the idea of red versus white.
Sources (checked 2026-11-14): FAA Aeronautical Information Manual; FAA airman testing supplements (FAA-CT-8080-2H).
How do I study this for the test?
- Learn the colors first: white for runway, yellow for taxiway, hold and closed areas, red and white for mandatory signs.
- Practice runway numbers from headings and the reciprocal rule (add or subtract 18).
- Match each marking to its job: arrows and bar for displaced threshold, chevrons for unusable pavement, X for closed, four yellow lines for hold.
- Open the airport figures in the supplement and name each item before looking at the choices.
The free chart lessons at Norfolk and Corpus Christi show airports from the chart side, and the Chart Supplement guide covers where to find runway data.
Sources (checked 2026-11-14): FAA Aeronautical Information Manual; FAA airman testing supplements (FAA-CT-8080-2H).
Related guides
- Airport operations and radio basics for Part 107
- Sectional chart symbols a remote pilot must know
- How to read an airport entry in the Chart Supplement
- The FAA testing supplement for Part 107: figures, legends and the October 2026 change
- Airspace authorization and LAANC for Part 107 pilots
- All Part 107 guides
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Sources
- FAA Aeronautical Information Manual, checked 2026-11-14
- FAA airman testing supplements (FAA-CT-8080-2H), checked 2026-11-14
- 14 CFR 107.43 (eCFR), checked 2026-11-14
- 14 CFR 107.41 (eCFR), checked 2026-11-14
How this page was made: written by Certloom Learning from the sources above, with the rules checked against the current regulation text. Practice items are original questions from the app's reviewed bank. Spot an error? certloomlearning@gmail.com.