Vanquishing the V/PD 

2nd Quarter 2014
 

A quarterly publication from the
 

Safety Section
 

Federal Aviation Administration Airports Division
 

Western-Pacific Region
 

This publication is directed primarily towards airport management to be disseminated to 

all levels of personnel working at your airfield. It does not matter how large or how small 

your airfield or how tight your budget may be, this information must be made available to 

your people by whatever means. Vanquishing the V/PD can be accomplished through a 

solid partnership between the FAA and airport management. The responsibility of 

making sure that the proper safeguards are in place; however, lies squarely on the 

shoulders of the airport management. Please use this information and all that follows as a 

guide by which to produce a safer environment at your airfield. 

The most versatile marking at your airport, whether general aviation (GA) or an airport 

certificated under CFR Part 139, is the runway holding position marking. This marking 

has many purposes: 

	 When painted on a taxiway at towered airports, the so called “Pattern A” marking

identifies the location where pilots and vehicle drivers are to stop until they

receive an air traffic control tower (ATCT) clearance to enter the runway

environment. At non-towered airports or when the ATCT is closed, it identifies

the location where pilots and vehicle drivers are to stop to ensure that they have

adequate separation with other aircraft before proceeding onto the runway. The

pilot or vehicle driver should announce their intentions on the common traffic

advisory frequency (CTAF) before proceeding onto the runway. The marking

protects the runway, the runway safety area, the approach area for a nonintersecting runway, the precision obstacle free zone (POFZ) and, in some cases,
	 

the ILS/MLS critical area. It is also an important clearance limit when associated 

with a LVO/SMGCS plan. 

 When painted on a taxiway, turnaround or a holding bay the Pattern A protects

the runway and the runway safety area. 

	 When painted on a runway the Pattern A identifies where pilots and vehicle

drivers are to stop and hold when (1) the runway is operationally closed for an 

interval of time (2) the runway is used for land and hold short operations 

(LAHSO) or (3)at a specific hold spot. 

The diversity of this marking and its practical application to the runway environment 

makes it the most important marking on the airfield. The protection of the runway 

operating environment is paramount. A runway incursion is not considered an innocent 

mistake but rather, an avoidable incident which might have resulted in the loss of life 

and/or property. And it goes without saying, the larger the airfield, the larger the aircraft 

and the greater the potential for massive loss of life and/or property. 

When writing or revising a vehicle driver training program special emphasis should be 

put on identifying and understanding this marking. This applies to driver training 

programs written for drivers who are and drivers who are not authorized to operate in the 

movement area. Associating this marking with the hazards of the runway environment is 

critical. Teaching respect for this marking goes hand-in-hand with teaching respect for 

the runway environment. 

Regardless of whether a runway incursion occurs at a GA or certificated airport, it is an 

avoidable incident. Through proper training, respect for the runway environment, and 

proper identification of signs, markings and lighting, runway incursions can be made a 

thing of the past. 

Column written by: 

Steven Oetzell 

Lead Airport Certification Safety Inspector, AWP-620.6 

Reproductions of this, past and subsequent issues of Vanquishing the VPD are available 

on FAAWebsite: 

http://www.faa.gov/airports/western_pacific/airports_resources/newsletter/