Module MOD-07 · 6 min · ACS PA.III.A · ACS PA.III.B

Airport Signs

← Airports, Runways, Signs, Markings and Lightingdraft — pending CFI review

Why this matters in flight: Signs tell you where you are and where you must not go without a clearance. Confusing a mandatory red sign with an informational yellow one is exactly how a pilot ends up on a runway unexpectedly.
Airport signs by colorSix taxiway and runway signs. Red signs with white text are mandatory instructions such as runway holding position and ILS critical-area holds. Yellow signs with black text give direction or destination information. A black sign with yellow text shows your current taxiway location.28Runway hold — mandatory (red)ATaxiway location (black)B →Taxiway direction (yellow)22 ↑Runway direction (yellow)← APCHDestination / info (yellow)ILSILS critical area hold (red)
DRAFT schematic — pending CFI review. Airport sign colors and their meaning (per AIM). Illustrative; not to scale and not an FAA-approved figure.

Airport signs are decoded by color. A mandatory instruction sign has white lettering on a red background; it marks an entrance to a runway or a critical area, and you may proceed past it only with a clearance. A runway holding position sign, for example, might read "27-9" to show the thresholds you are about to cross. Location signs are the opposite color scheme — yellow lettering on a black background — and simply tell you which taxiway or runway you are currently on. Direction and destination signs use black lettering on a yellow background with arrows pointing toward taxiways or areas of the field. A quick memory aid: red means required action or a stop, black-on- yellow points the way, and yellow-on-black tells you where you stand.

Key terms

Mandatory instruction sign
White on red; entrance to a runway or critical area requiring a clearance.
Location sign
Yellow on black; identifies the taxiway or runway you are on.
Direction sign
Black on yellow; points toward taxiways or destinations.

Summary

Red signs are mandatory (clearance required); yellow-on-black location signs say where you are; black-on-yellow direction signs point the way.

Quick check ▾

One question on what you just read.

Question 1 of 1

Objective mastery: 15%

0 of 1 answered

What color scheme identifies a mandatory instruction sign, such as a runway holding position sign?

Choose one answer
Knowledge check (4) →Ask about this lessonAll lessons in this module

Sources

Every claim traces to a source — paraphrased knowledge elements pointing at the governing FAA publication; not yet verified against a retrieved source.

  • AIM 2-3-8 — Aeronautical Information Manual unverified

Community

Ask for more detail or suggest additions to make this lesson better. Community input — not authoritative and not CFI-reviewed.

Sign in or create a free account to join the conversation.

No comments yet — be the first to help improve this lesson.