Taxiway Markings, Signs and Lights

[@venusdesigns6873]

Great video. About your question: the runway sign should say 09L-27R. I didn’t see if someone had already answered.

[@qthetroll]

been looking all night for this comment

[@olegserov6779]

Amazing! That's the clearest explanations I've ever seen. Thank you very much for your work!

[@Doofer911]

I'm glad I could help :)

[@Neelpan3]

Oleg Serov Airplanes

[@techgamer6875]

True Me and my younger sister are making a airport in Minecraft.

[@kengunn31]

Congratulations on the presentation. If you are as good a pilot as you are a computer graphics creator, then you're pretty damn good. Thanks. Simple and clear.

[@Doofer911]

Haha, thank you for the kind words. I'm really not a good graphics designer compared to professionals but I know enough to help make my points clearer for viewers :)

[@altomar718]

Mate - as a newly qualified pilot who learnt in rural areas (Devon, UK), I didnt have to fly into many larger airports, so the marking were a bit of a mystery. This video is amazing and so helpful - Thank you so much for taking the time to make an easy to follow and so informative video - Thanks

[@Doofer911]

You're welcome, I'm really glad my video could help! Just a disclaimer, I'm not a pilot myself, just an enthusiast so please double check things with an instructor if you are planning on visiting larger airports :)

[@altomar718]

I completely understand that and always check things in the planning stage. Reading all the manuals is quite complicated when trying to visualise the way they are laid out, but the video filled in the gaps - Thanks again - Chris

[@justingreene6805]

Super helpful! I'm a model railroader building a full airport and I'm doing my own markings and lighting! You sir have made my life much easier! Thank you

[@JP_TaVeryMuch]

Before you connect the last taxiway light, do yourself the favour of a lifetime and go for a long weekend in Hamburg. For the MiniaturWunderland with its ever expanding number of countries, implausibly intricate and accurate scaled down landmarks, railway tracks stretching to the horizon and of course the way that they have incorporated their lovingly close take on HAM complete with taxiway green route to Apron lines. Oh and them having just about cracked realistic HO gauge take off & landing of nigh on every aircraft from The Flyer, via Concorde to Super Jumbos. And night time and then day time again. And fires being put out by Sapeur Pompiers. And I have gone on all night already, so just go. And if you've been, go again!

[@magnoaraujofilho]

This is perhaps the most explanatory and didactic video about this subject. Congratulations!!!

[@obsessivelyoli]

Thanks! Now I can look legit when flying a plane in gta v

[@Doofer911]

Learn all the radio chatter as well, that'll freak people out ;)

[@Anderswulff2001]

Do you have a video where you tell how they communicate at an airport? PS Your videos are the shit. They are extremely interresting and i learned a lot from them :D

[@Doofer911]

I do have a video about using the Air Traffic Control feature in FSX but nothing related to real world radio comms I'm afraid.

[@britishairways3695]

Doofer911 k

[@Thequebecextremist]

x plane 11

[@rupert6126]

Brilliant sir! There's a natural teacher in there somewhere. These tutorials are where you really shine. Thanks - always worth watching.

[@Akula114]

As clear as the Azure sky of deepest summer. -- Simply outstanding!! You made it so clear that even a budding aviation enthusiast totally understood and imprinted the layout. Now, if only the Department of Transportation or whoever "designs" highway and road markings would look and see how it's done.

[@Doofer911]

Thank you for the kind words, really glad my video helped!

[@danaschoen432]

You're a good sport. Some times I have to rewind a few seconds because I drift in and out of consciousness on these, I enjoyed the little fun you had there, intentional or not. I love Easter eggs.

[@Doofer911]

No worries, yeah it was an unintentional accident but I managed to turn it into something a little fun and interactive.

[@markm3869]

Great work. Many thanks for educating the public and making aviation safer all around the world.

[@chaseshaw9130]

I like it. I'd love a demo take-off and landing with instructions like "wait here" at the holdings, etc.

[@mv6677]

Hey! Your videos are great. I am 11 years old and i wanna be a pilot for finnair and your videos help me learn what i need to know and do. Keep up the great work!!!!

[@Doofer911]

That's awesome! I'm so glad you're interested in flying at such a young age and I'm really glad my videos can help :)

[@louisprintemps9797]

Thank you I'm a air cadet and im doing a test on runways this help with revision thank you and I gonna share you with my friends if they need help with runways

[@Doofer911]

Best of luck with the test! I'm glad my video could help but I feel compelled to say that I'm not a "professional" when it comes to Aviation and I'm not a pilot in real life, so if you've seen something in a textbook or been told something which is different to my video, trust that information over my video!

[@immitation9885]

Great presentation, I have never seen a clearer and easier to understand video on airport signs and markings.

[@Doofer911]

Really glad my video could help 😁

[@pappinr]

You are a great teacher! I am learning so much from ALL of your videos. Thank you!

[@軍曹家]

Thanks Doofer, that's so clear than the navigation book I have looked before!

[@Doofer911]

+軍曹家 Glad I could help! :)

[@readingpolo]

Excellent videos from Doofer911 Taxiways and Runways are not the best explained in airline training and information takes forever to find so this is a great roundup! Thanks

[@Doofer911]

Thanks for the kind comment, I'm glad you liked the videos! :)

[@CrazyArcher2160]

Wow, that's some serious effort you've put into these runway/taxiway videos! Your explanations are very clear and easy to understand, I've learnt quite a lot. Thanks!

[@Doofer911]

I'm glad this vid could help :)

[@leonardoarroyo4107]

Well explained, will make ur outrageous runway presentation, thru our co employee ,here in manila international airport,promise Po ,before I retire, next year, will give them , something that cherish , And surely will apply in their job..tnxt. , luv ..for ur inf 10:42 o working here MIAA /NS/NAIA .,as lead engineer for airfield lighting system for almost 40 years in service .

[@rpowell3000]

at 2:46 about the hold until ATC clearance , when approaching from the other side you say you can proceed with out clearance from ATC. if its night and the red lights are showing can you still proceed with out clearance. assuming you can clearly see the markings. thats if you can see the lights from that direction

[@Doofer911]

Ah I don't think I mentioned that in the video, the red lights are only visible from one direction, so if you were travelling from the runway side, you wouldn't see the lights.

[@rpowell3000]

Thank You

[@errol6788]

Absolutely detailed and easy to follow, I am new to the whole flight sim thing, but I am liking what I am seeing.....thumbs Mattie!

[@DavidAndrewsPEC]

Excellent! Wonderful and informative. No messing about. I'm enjoying these!

[@Doofer911]

I'm glad you like the vids :)

[@shortyshorty3072]

Doofer911 i know a Little bit late but what about the cat2/3 Signs could you explain it a bit?

[@tonpal]

As a keen simulator pilot I have found these vids very interesting, filling in a few holes in my knowledge. Alas I only ever managed a couple of hours in a *real* front seat.

[@Doofer911]

Yeah same, I'm hoping to get a Private Pilots License one day so I'm using this as a tool to learn how to fly, navigate etc. Glad these videos could help though :)

[@parthbhosale8948]

Man you rock!! That is the best explanations I have ever seen in my life.

[@kshitijrasal5086]

i always wondered what these numbers and markings were on the runway!...and i wud like to thank u now for educating me on this.

[@paveladamek3502]

Many airports also have a warning sign RWY AHEAD painted in the middle of the twy to warn pilots they are approaching a rwy. Mostly when the twy is curved and the line of sight would be inconsistent with the shape of the twy.

[@runarandersen878]

I was missing that in the video. Often in red color I think?

[@philipthomas9168]

Brilliant video. Expertly explained at a slow pace. I now can find my way round!!!

[@Doofer911]

I'm glad I could help :)

[@Hassan_9]

I've been looking for this explanation for a long time especially the taxiway lightings. Thank you so much for your brilliant work :)

[@peteallennh]

Fantastic explanation! Clear, concise, and super helpful. Thank you!

[@johnnylangland720]

Very nice .. simple .. straight forward, relevant and informative .. good job with the graphics .. excellent !

[@eminorb5]

This is the best video ever, thank you for your hard work !

[@Doofer911]

You're welcome, glad you liked the video :)

[@adrianoquendo1827]

At 9:27. I've seen airports that have both that system and the other runway guard system. But the lights on the taxiway alternated as well. That being said are the two methods in your video also different types of runway guard lights airports can have

[@ergenekonkucuk1649]

It was a great great presentation I have ever seen . thank you very much for your work ....

[@tomball3219]

Thanks, I always wondered what all the signs meant. Here is a suggestion that is related: take some ground control radio traffic and explain what they mean and how a pilot follows the instruction.

[@Doofer911]

Thanks for the suggestion Tom, it's hard to get ATC recordings in the UK but I might be able to do it for some US airports.

[@KasperAviation]

Amazing! This Really Helped Me! I'd Recommend This Video For Student Pilots. Couldn't Of Been Explained Any Better!

[@luisr6927]

I fly regularly and am the type of person that likes this type of information to know what I am seeing. I want to note that I have never seen a row of steady runway guard lights. I see either the type of flashing light at both sides which flash faster than the video shows or a combination of the lights on the sides and a row of yellow alternating flashing lights across the taxiway which flash at about the same rate as shown in the video.

[@ramonaraujo471]

In what conditions does a pilot need to wait at the basic holding line, drawn at timestamp 2:08? Does the pilot need ATC clearance to move past this holding line?

[@benjaminmendenhall3104]

You do a great job with your videos talking about how the runways work

[@Doofer911]

Thanks for the kind comment, I'm glad you liked the video :)

[@GC987]

Brilliant stuff - I wished I'd discovered your VLOG ages ago. Thanks

[@timivimey6303]

One thing that I picked up from that, especially when I was working at a local airport as a ground handler towing aircraft around the airport was taxiway naming. You noted that the hold point would have a number, which it doesn't. The number that is written on the sign is an indication of a branch of a taxiway. For example, when I was towing an aircraft, my instructions (after pushback) was "tow via G, B, B1, Cross Runway 34L, A1, A, International 3 to the gate". If those numbers were indicating hold points then I wouldn't be able to tow via them, where I clearly had to tow on that taxiway. The holding points never were numbered. Also, the ILS sign in some airports are different. At the airport I was at, the ILS sign didn't read ILS, but Cat II Holding Point 16R

[@757Superfan]

This is a great explanation for people who don’t know!

[@joalmeria891]

Thank you so much! Now I can ace my exam!

[@Doofer911]

Best of luck!!

[@joalmeria891]

@@Doofer911 Thank you!

[@wildgurgs3614]

Am I the only viewer who doesn't think 8:15 looks messy?

[@Doofer911]

No-one else has mentioned it so I don't think you're alone :)

[@spruceclient8307]

WildGurgs36 I know I'm 2 years late, but your not the only one

[@wildgurgs3614]

@@spruceclient8307 better late than never!...now to re-watch the vid to see what I meant by that 😆

[@solidbread9087]

WildGurgs36 lol I like this conversation

[@yanks250125]

looks clean as possible. nice job mate

[@atent5124]

I hope you answer: Why are the runway holdlines for Taxiway Bravo different to taxiway Alpha at night? Edit: So it is different because the holdlines are at different areas on the taxiway. Like, Taxiway Alpha's Holdline is at the far end. However, Taxiway Bravo is not?

[@Reaper4367]

This has just sorted out Heathrow on a dark and foggy night! Cheers mate :)

[@dankification]

Could you do a video on a airport apron and what all the markings signs lights are used for?

[@markjonathanprepena1280]

Thanks, dude! Helped me on my test in Aviation School Also that Runway Marking too!

[@Doofer911]

I'm really glad this video could help, hope you passed that test!

[@markjonathanprepena1280]

Eyy! Just saw the exam earlier and I passed it! Well, I'm not yet a pilot and it's just an entrance exam where it will test your knowledge about aviation. But hey, that landing and approach tutorials also did helped me, hoping I can put those in my simulation and real training.

[@calicowav]

I have to say, this is a very good explanation. Now I have two miscellaneous questions that might not necessarily affect what your general explanation covers. But here are my two questions: 1) Does the pilot need ATC clearance to pass an ILS stop mark? 2) Why would a pilot take a taxi way to the threshold of a runway rather than taxiing itself straight onto the runway itself? What's the difference that affects the plane's flight? If you have answers to these, please tell me. I believe there are answers that are very logical that should be self-explanatory, but I just want to confirm whether or not my assumption inside my head is correct or not. Thank you! And great video!

[@Doofer911]

1. If the airport is operating under "Low Visibility Procedures" then the way that ATC manages movement of aircraft on the ground changes completely. On a normal day, I believe that pilots can taxi past ILS stop marks because "normal" stop marks are always found after the ILS mark, closer to the runway. In the UK, ATC will clear an aircraft to a specific point, then give the route. For example in this video, ATC would say something like "Cleared to holding point Alpha via taxiway Alpha." So ATC have cleared the aircraft all the way to the Alpha holding point, past any holds before that. Now if the airport was using Low Visibility Procedures, then they would give instruction and only clear the aircraft as far as the ILS holding point. 2. ATC prefer to have a plane on a runway for as little time as possible to reduce congestion. So again using my video as an example, if the aircraft is at Alpha holding point and they're cleared for takeoff, then they simply turn onto the runway and go, so they're not on the runway for too long. However if ATC let them on via Bravo, and clear them to "Backtrack" to the threshold, the aircraft would have to enter the runway at Bravo, turn left, taxi to the end of the runway, turn around and then go. That takes a lot longer and if you've got a busy airport, then other planes can't land or takeoff with another aircraft on the runway.

[@calicowav]

@@Doofer911 Thanks a bunch, I'll keep your explanation in mind!

[@abdulazizsabir2927]

Thanks man for the great video it explains a lot I have seen some “taxiways with a yellow line and black edged on both sides” can you explain them

[@leonpilot737]

The holding points are usually numbered starting from the closest one to the runway. Taking your example we will have the A1 just before the runway, the A2 for ILS cat 2 h/p, the A3 just before the junction and the B1 on the B taxiway.

[@RobGinete]

Why am I watching this.... I’m not even a pilot or working in an airport, but informative.

[@Doofer911]

I'm not sure but I'm glad you found the video informative :)

[@RobGinete]

Doofer911 I will be not bored during taxi ... I'll be looking for these markings on the airport.

[@chadbowman1077]

This is a fantastic explanation, very easy to understand. Good work!

[@jasonrowlands7197]

Great work. A very concise explanation. I’m not sure where you made the error you mention though? Thanks a lot, keep it up.

[@user-ky6vw5up9m]

The paint contains tiny glass beads ( called ballotini) which reflect the aircraft’s headlight beams back on a parallel line to the aircraft to maximise conspicuity ( at least in U.K.)

[@JerryLaw]

we have yellow flashing gard light and red stop bar light when a plane have not been cleared to enter the runway. the red stop bar turn to green and tower clear a plane to enter the runway. I think in SYD they do have lead on light as well.

[@drummaguyhixy]

in reference to holding point (around 6:08) where its said that you're at Holding point A1, would that also be described as "on taxiway alpha holding short Alpha Bravo"

[@Doofer911]

I can't say for certain. In the UK, your position should be reported as the holding point itself so "Holding at Alpha 1" would be correct. However there may be syntax differences in other countries who would accept "Holding short of Bravo" as a valid radio message.

[@drummaguyhixy]

@@Doofer911 ah ok no dramas. i'm just asking the question, i'm not a pilot but wanting to work up to it. just not sure myself so cheers for input

[@hcomune]

Congrats for the video, very simple and clear explanation, nice job!

[@Doofer911]

Glad you liked it! :)

[@adambratvold7671]

Very informative great job👏🏻👏🏻

[@wshngai]

mistake: is it missing the runway L and R on the runway sign??

[@Doofer911]

Yep, correct! :)

[@juanmlleras]

WSHN See the other video.

[@vaibhavshahi4140]

there is no need of L or R when there is only one runway..

[@guagadu7804]

The runway itself is marked 09 L though, so it will require the letters.

[@poppyatcs4529]

And it should be 9 L not 09L

[@matthewsequoyah2665]

Clear & concise explanation, Exellent, Thanks !

[@questioncuriosity6119]

Wouldn't there be ILS hold lights as well?

[@TheF16fan]

〈FaFmAn〉 thats what I wanted to ask too ;)

[@hsnse]

There would be. The ILS hold lights would be 4 equidistant lights similar to the 3 yellow lights indicating a holding point on the taxi way. Also, I understand there is another version of the runway guard lights, which in this video is a string of lights across the width of the taxi way A. They can also be alternate yellow and black lights. Saw that somewhere.

[@hsnse]

Thats definitely a lot to take in, but awesome....So much knowledge stuffed into 10 minutes....

[@Doofer911]

I'm glad you liked it! :)

[@manitalich8747]

Thnx my friend. Finally I can take off in peace. Funnily my cousin is a captain but I never bothered to ask him. Thnx.

[@NQUINNT]

At some airports the stop bar lights turn green when the approach path is clear and also at some airports the runway guard lights are both on the ground and on earthier side of the runway and alternate

[@AAAyyyGGG]

I'm glad I found your videos as I've always been fascinated by the markings and lights at airports. For me, seeing them (and now understanding them!) is the best part of air travel... I'd like to ask you which program you prepared the graphics with? It looks very professional and I'm sure many viewers would like to know. Thanks again!

[@Doofer911]

All the GFX were done in Photoshop and the video was edited in Sony Movie Studio Platinum :)

[@jacquesloveridge30]

The videos are really helping me on my flight sim

[@Doofer911]

I'm glad, means I did my job :)

[@googaagoogaa12345678]

nice video about this the ILS hold looks like film to me

[@Jankoe100]

Wow this video has such a well quality! I enjoied it a lot. Thanks!

[@Doofer911]

I'm glad you liked it!

[@ramcymendoza2381]

I love this video. Very well explained, thank you!

[@pip12111]

the taxiway centerlights at LAX alternate from green to red when ground gives them clearance to proceed

[@Doofer911]

Yeah those will probably be the Runway Lead-On lights which work with the Stop Lights.

[@errol6788]

Great video, very interested in sim flight, never understood runway and taxi markings.

[@Doofer911]

Glad this video could help! I'm surprised this hasn't been covered in more depth in flight simulators

[@async03]

thanx, very clear, I´d like to know how to follow a given set of taxiways to get to, say, fuel or parking

[@SavedByFaithInJesus]

Thanks! Great videos (I watched pt 1 as well) I fly enough for this info to be really helpful to know what's going on and why.

[@muhammadraza9558]

Preety informative... I love to read about aviation its quite beneficial for me

[@Doofer911]

I''m glad this video could help you learn about aviation :)

[@UltraLightSP]

QUESTION: So say in a random airport, taxiway Alpha is the main one. Say it has, uh, 6 standard taxiway hold points. So they would be A1, A2, etc until A6, right? But are the hold points in any particular order? Obviously low to high but is it north-south and east-west or something else?

[@Adrian-A320]

Thank fit the video. Very useful for me as a beginner. Regrading the mistake you mentioned in the video, the name for the runway shouldn't be marked as 09L and 27R?

[@natthawatketsupha4846]

Your example are the clearest!

[@Doofer911]

Thank you, I do my best to make my videos as simple as possible.

[@user-vu7my6kd4g]

Thank you for your presentation!

[@henriquerodrigues8374]

Incredible information! Thank you

[@mystlegend9359]

7:10 It was 27-09 in the blue box (should be 09-27) And you forgot 09L and 27R

[@cityuser]

No, there is only one runway in the 09/27 direction in this example airport. Also, he switched them up together with the narration when he explained them.

[@pilotactor777]

noticed it immediately

[@sleaponit21]

lovely reminder, thanks doofer

[@aviator_ren]

The mistake at 6:55 was that the sign shows runway 09 when its actually runway 09L, same for runway 27R. The sign in the blue box was wrong lol, but the sign near the taxi way was correct, also thanks a lot for the video

[@championpigeon5000]

way much better than book reading

[@TairnKA]

I listen to "Kennedy Steve" (ATC Grnd) occasional and he'll tell a pilot to "Hold Short at A", I'm guessing that he wants the aircraft to hold at the "ILS" marker? Is this correct or what is he referring to?

[@kako8501]

lets say, if you are currently on taxiway Bravo and the ATC tells you to hold at Alpha, than you should stop the aircraft as soon as you see the sign for Alpha.

[@TairnKA]

Are you saying that hold at Alpha is the same as hold short of Alpha?

[@imrekalman9044]

Talking about JFK airport if a plane comes out from the terminal on taxiway Golf and is told to "Hold short of Alpha!" it has to stop at the holding point before Alpha on Golf. Here: www.google.co.uk/maps/place/John+F.+Kennedy+International+Airport+(JFK)/@40.6408397,-73.7745029,64m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x89c26650d5404947:0xec4fb213489f11f0!8m2!3d40.6413111!4d-73.7781391?hl=en (hopefully works) PS: Kennedy Steve is aaaawesome, monitor 123.9, good night!

[@anodesam]

I don’t know if you’ll see this comment but if you do thank you very much for this informative video and can you help me better understand the ILS marking

[@rayharkins14]

Excellent presentation. Good work

[@Doofer911]

Thank you, glad you liked it!

[@emmettmckenna6370]

Incredible content keep it up. This helps me so much

[@jameshilt6826]

What are the 5 lights right next to the landing runway as you're ready to touch down?

[@Kenny-Ross]

Excellent presentation. Thank you sir!

[@kevinperez7932]

awesome video :D saved me from failing an exam !

[@Doofer911]

Wow.... I'm glad I could help! haha

[@camerontrickey6057]

Once again I loved this video mate..

[@Luscious3174]

Just a flight sim fan here, not a pilot, but is it true that the center line is there to guide the nose wheels of aircraft? I'm assuming as well modern aircraft have nose wheel cameras so the pilot can "see" where his wheel is.

[@johndean4998]

Yes, and no. The pilot has to keep the centreline of the a/c over the centreline of the taxiway, which is relatively easy when the taxiway is straight. But when the a/c reaches a bend (and especially if it is a large a/c on a narrow taxiway), he/she must first understeer and then oversteer to keep the main landing gear roughly equidistant either side of the centreline otherwise one of the landing gear bogies might run off the taxiway. If you watch one of the many A350 videos (especially Finnair) you can see this in action where the passengers can view the nosewheel from the belly camera on their IFE screen.

[@crsvetteii1753]

No aircraft of which I am aware has a nose wheel camera for several reasons. First, it is typically unnecessary! Just as one visually positions an automobile within a designated lane, so too does a pilot position his aircraft with the taxiway center line right beneath the aircraft nose. As noted by others, there are also situations in which undersreer and/or oversteer are appropriate, particularly for wing clearance and, on very large aircraft, for main gear clearance.

[@rogerwilcoshirley2270]

Basic but good. You should emphasize that not only must one have ATC clearance to get on a runway but ditto for taxiways, if you charge onto a taxiway without a taxi clearance for that taxiway you almost certainly will be in for an FAA deviation that may require expensive remedial training. Consider a tour of a nite taxi on a large complex airport where the lighting can be confusing because it is a bit different and the much greater width of runways and taxiways add to distortion as seen from small GA planes much closer to the ground than cockpits of the commercial jets.

[@Doofer911]

I think the reason it wasn't mentioned in this video is that this was purely an overview of the different markings found at an airport, not a description of procedures used at an airport.

[@caddeboy]

Terrific explanation and expression. Thank You!!

[@Doofer911]

You're welcome, glad you liked the video! :)

[@jonnereesink5452]

The mistake is that it should be 09L

[@Doofer911]

Yep, bingo! :)

[@pranzgamingxd6781]

And also 27R

[@danlouie9332]

The sign should read 9L-27R, the zero is left out in front of the 6.

[@gpav10]

I think that the "L" and "R" are only used when there are two runways which are parallel one to another. In case of a single runway, or when we have two runways crossing each other, the number is enough. Am I wrong?

[@Kaebuki]

gpav10 I think you’re right, since if it crosses, technically there’s no matching colors?

[@bosoq]

so if u get clearances to stop did u stop before taxi holding point or runway holding point?

[@mrjaffar]

Hope you recover from your cold soon...

[@Doofer911]

Cheers mate :)

[@crsvetteii1753]

An important tangential issue here is the new rule on taxi clearances. Previously, one cleared to "taxi to Runway 4 and hold," one was automatically cleared across any runway between the starting position and runway 4. Due to incidents of dangerous runway incursions...and a few accidents...one now needs additional clearance to cross any runway between one's current position and the destination runway. In short, never enter or taxi across any runway unless specifically cleared to do so.

[@yogeshmpai]

sometimes in the night when the aircraft approaches runway for a take off, if the stop bar lights are red, its mostly waiting for an inbound aircraft. In such case, the pilot will switch off the main light and other lights so as to not to distract the landing plane. :)