Airports use six types of signs, and the color tells you what kind of sign you are looking at. Mandatory instruction signs are white on red and mark a runway, a critical area or a no-entry area ahead; location signs are yellow on black and tell you where you are; direction, destination and information signs are black on yellow and tell you where to go; and runway distance remaining signs show white numerals on black. In short: red means hold, black tells you where you are, and yellow points the way.
Part of our Airport Operations guide. The signs pair with the paint on the ground, so read runway markings next.
Keep this card on your kneeboard until the colors are automatic.
| Sign | Colors | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Mandatory instruction | White on red | Runway, critical area or no-entry area ahead: hold |
| Location | Yellow on black, yellow border | The taxiway or runway you are on |
| Direction | Black on yellow, arrows | Taxiways leading out of the intersection |
| Destination | Black on yellow, arrow | Route to a runway, ramp or other place |
| Information | Black on yellow | Local notes such as frequencies or noise rules |
| Runway distance remaining | White numeral on black | Thousands of feet of runway left |
| Boundary (runway or ILS) | Black hold-line graphic on yellow | Seen when leaving: pass it to be clear |
Mandatory instruction signs: red means hold
Mandatory instruction signs have a white inscription, outlined in black, on a red background. They mark the entrance to a runway or critical area and areas where aircraft may not enter. They are normally on the left side of the taxiway, and a dash appears only on mandatory signs, separating two runway ends or a runway number from “APCH” or “DEP.”
- Runway holding position sign. Placed at the holding position where a taxiway meets a runway, or where one runway crosses another. The numbers match the runway thresholds: “15-33” means the threshold of Runway 15 is to your left and Runway 33 is to your right. At the beginning of the takeoff runway, the sign may show only the takeoff runway. Where a taxiway meets the intersection of two runways, the sign shows both runways, with arrows showing each runway’s alignment and pointing toward the threshold named beside each arrow.
- Runway approach area holding position sign. Protects a runway’s approach or departure path from a taxiing airplane, with legends such as “15-APCH” or “15 APCH-33 DEP.” You hold here when ATC instructs you to.
- ILS critical area holding position sign. Reads “ILS” and sits beside the yellow ladder marking. You stop here when ATC tells you to hold short of the ILS critical area.
- No entry sign. A white circle with a horizontal bar, used on one-way taxiways and where a vehicle roadway could be mistaken for a taxiway.
At a towered airport, do not pass a runway holding position sign without an ATC clearance, and read back every hold-short instruction (see towered airport communications). If your radio fails, that clearance comes as a light gun signal. When the tower is closed or the airport is non-towered, the PHAK says to taxi past only when the runway is clear and no aircraft is on final approach.
Location signs: where you are
Location signs have a yellow inscription and a yellow border on a black background, and they never have arrows. A taxiway location sign shows the taxiway you are on, alone or next to direction signs or a runway holding position sign. A runway location sign shows the runway you are on and is installed where runways close together could confuse you, as a complement to your compass.
The AIM also groups two boundary signs with location signs, and they break the color pattern: the runway boundary sign and the ILS critical area boundary sign are yellow with a black picture of the holding position marking. They face the runway or critical area so you see them while leaving it, and they help you judge when you are clear, for example when a controller asks you to report “clear of the runway.”
Direction signs and how to read a sign array
Direction signs have a black inscription on a yellow background. Each shows a taxiway leading out of the intersection ahead, one you would normally turn onto or hold short of, with an arrow pointing the way you would turn. Signs are usually on the left before the intersection, and a runway exit sign sits on the same side of the runway as the exit.
When several taxiways meet, the signs form an array you read like a clock face:
- The taxiway designations are arranged clockwise, starting with the first taxiway on your left.
- If the array includes a location sign, every left turn is to its left, and straight-ahead and right turns are to its right.
- Each designation has its own arrow and is separated from the next by a black vertical divider or by the location sign.
- Where only one taxiway crosses yours, a single sign may carry two arrows, with the location sign on its left.
Destination signs
Destination signs are also black on yellow, and they always include an arrow showing the direction of the taxi route. Outbound signs point toward departure runways. Inbound signs point to places on the field, using legends such as APRON, FBO, FUEL, TERM, CARGO, INTL or MIL. A dot means “and”: “32·2·14” with one arrow means those runways share a route. When destinations need different routes, each gets its own arrow and a vertical black divider separates them.
Information signs
Information signs are black on yellow and tell you about things such as areas the control tower cannot see, radio frequencies and noise abatement procedures. The airport operator decides where they are needed. One example is the VOR receiver checkpoint sign, which shows the station, the course for the check and the words “VOR check course.”
Runway distance remaining signs
Runway distance remaining signs are white numerals on a black background along one or both sides of the runway. Each number is the landing runway remaining in thousands of feet, so “3” means about 3,000 feet left, and the last sign, “1,” stands at least 950 feet from the runway end. The FAA’s sign standard calls for them on runways with frequent turbojet operations, so you may not see them at a small training field.
Signs painted on the pavement
Some signs are painted on the taxiway, using the same colors, to supplement the upright signs:
- Surface painted holding position signs are white on red, painted left of the centerline on the holding side, and are normally used where the holding position is more than 200 feet wide.
- Surface painted location signs are yellow on black and painted right of the centerline.
- Surface painted direction signs are black on yellow beside the centerline, with left turns on the left and right turns on the right.
Using signs while you taxi
Signs confirm the route you planned; they do not replace planning. The FAA’s Runway Safety office notes that over 80 percent of pilot-caused runway incursions happen during taxi to the departure runway, and its best practices start before you move:
- Review the airport diagram and any hot spots, then copy your taxi clearance and trace the route on the diagram before you release the brakes.
- Keep your eyes outside and match each sign to the diagram: the black location sign should name the taxiway you expect to be on.
- If something does not match, stop on the taxiway and ask ATC, or request progressive taxi for step-by-step directions.
Quick reference
The FAA’s own sign chart from the Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge puts every common sign and its purpose on one page. Airport signs are part of the Private Pilot ACS, which lists airport markings, signs and lights as required knowledge and expects you to identify and interpret them in the traffic pattern, so expect questions on the checkride.
At night, airports certificated under 14 CFR part 139 light their mandatory, location, direction and distance remaining signs, while other airports may use unlighted reflective signs; see airport lighting. On final approach, PAPI and VASI lights give you glidepath guidance to the runway.
What you'll need
The Chart Supplement for airport diagrams and runway data, the FAR/AIM and PHAK that explain every sign, and a kneeboard to hold your taxi diagram, all from PilotMall.com.
Frequently asked questions
What are the six types of airport signs?
The AIM lists mandatory instruction signs, location signs, direction signs, destination signs, information signs and runway distance remaining signs. Mandatory signs are white on red, location signs are yellow on black, the next three are black on yellow, and distance remaining signs are white numerals on black.
What does a red sign at an airport mean?
A red sign with white lettering is a mandatory instruction sign. It marks the entrance to a runway or critical area, or an area aircraft may not enter. At a towered airport you need a clearance to go past a runway holding position sign.
What does “15-33” on a hold sign mean?
It names the runway ahead and shows which way each end lies: the threshold of Runway 15 is to your left and the threshold of Runway 33 is to your right as you face the runway.
What does a yellow sign with a picture of a hold line mean?
That is a boundary sign. It shows a picture of the holding position marking and faces the runway or ILS critical area, so you see it while leaving. Once your whole airplane has passed it and the marking beside it, you are clear.
How do you read a direction sign array?
Read it clockwise from the left. Each taxiway designation has its own arrow showing the turn, and if a black location sign is in the array, left turns are to its left while straight-ahead and right turns are to its right.