Fly to ORD? FAA Wants Your Input on New Signs and Markings

ALPA’s continued work to reduce runway incursions with the FAA Runway Safety Council’s Root Cause Analysis Team (RCAT) has led to the FAA Technical Center’s Airport Safety R&D branch developing a new sign and marking combination to better identify and properly use “approach hold” areas. The surface marking in the test is the ILS hold marking or “ladder” being used in conjunction with a new design for the sign.

For the next five months, the FAA will be conducting a full-scale operational research evaluation study at a limited number of specific points on the Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) to determine the effectiveness of these signs and surface markings (see images below). The FAA is soliciting your views on these proposed visual aids via an online survey. This is a subjective evaluation and all responses will be anonymous.

Identified by the RCAT as a contributing factor, the current dual use of the same hold short marking can be confusing. Not only is it used traditionally to control the entrance to a runway, it is also used to identify a location on the airport to stop or hold aircraft from entering the protected runway safety area during runway operations similar to how the ILS hold marking is used to protect the ILS signal during poor weather conditions. Regardless of the weather, the approach hold may not be used, and therefore the pilot can taxi across the hold short marking. This double usage is more pronounced when the marking is on runways or taxiways that intersect protected areas surrounding a runway, but do not physically intersect the runway itself.

Analysis has also shown that ATC phraseology and procedures concerning approach hold areas can vary from airport to airport, additionally leading to potential confusion and uncertainty for pilots. This mixed use of the current signs and surface markings identifying the “approach hold” areas can be unclear in meaning and appears to conflict with ATC instructions, leaving pilots uncertain as to whether they must hold short or can continue taxiing.

Questions may be directed to Engineering & Air Safety at 800-424-2470 or project manager Lauren Vitagliano (lauren.vitagliano@faa.gov, 609-485-8198, Airport Safety R&D, FAA William J. Hughes Technical Center, www.airporttech.tc.faa.gov), or support contractors Jennifer Klass (jennifer_klass@sra.com, 609-601-6800 ext.137) or Garrison Canter (garrison_canter@sra.com, 609-601-6800-Ext. 117).

New signs and marking under evaluation: