What is runway turn pad lighting?
The green guidance lights and blue edge lights that help an aircraft complete a 180-degree turn on the pad at the end of a runway.
A runway turn pad is a paved area beside a runway where an aircraft can turn through 180 degrees and line up facing the other way. Its lighting is borrowed from the taxiway family: green lights along the turn line and blue lights at the pavement edge.
1What a turn pad is for
Where a runway has no turning taxiway at its end, an aircraft that has to backtrack along the runway needs somewhere to turn round before take-off. The turn pad provides it, so the aircraft can leave the centreline, swing through a 180-degree turn and rejoin the centreline facing the other way.
2Green lights on the turn line
The pad has a yellow marking that traces the turn. Where the pad is meant for use in low visibility, green turn pad lights run along that marking, so the pilot has continuous guidance round the whole turn. Annex 14 ties this to a runway visual range below 350 m. The lights are spaced closer on the curved parts of the marking than on the straight parts: not more than 15 m on straight sections and 7.5 m on curves. They are fixed, unidirectional lights, set on the marking with an offset of not more than 30 cm and aimed so only aircraft on or approaching the pad see them.
3Blue lights at the pad edge
Where the pad is used at night, its paved edge is outlined with blue edge lights, the same colour as taxiway edge lights. They show a pilot where the pavement ends so the aircraft stays on the pad during the turn.
4Taxiway-type lights beside a runway
Turn pad lights look like taxiway lights, not runway lights: green and blue, never white or red. That keeps them from being mistaken for runway edge or centreline lights on the adjoining runway. How they are switched and monitored is a circuit-design decision, so confirm it against the project drawings.
| Feature | Runway turn pad lighting |
|---|---|
| Guidance lights | Green, fixed, on the turn pad marking |
| Marking | Yellow line tracing the 180-degree turn |
| Edge lights | Blue, where the pad is used at night |
| When guidance lights are provided | Pads intended for use in low visibility (RVR below 350 m in Annex 14) |
| Spacing | Not more than 15 m on straights and 7.5 m on curves; confirm against the current Annex 14 |
| Position and beam | On the marking, offset not more than 30 cm; unidirectional, visible only to aircraft on or approaching the pad |
| Family | Taxiway-type lights, not runway lights |
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1What is a runway turn pad?
A runway turn pad is a paved area next to a runway where an aircraft can complete a 180-degree turn and line up with the runway centreline. It is used where there is no turning taxiway, for example when an aircraft has to backtrack along the runway.
Q2What colour are runway turn pad lights?
Green. They are fixed lights set on or beside the yellow turn pad marking, so a pilot can follow the line round the turn. They are taxiway-type lights, not runway lights.
Q3When are runway turn pad lights provided?
Annex 14 calls for them where a turn pad is intended for use in low visibility, with a runway visual range below 350 m. Where a pad is used at night, its edges are also lit.
Q4What colour are the turn pad edge lights?
Blue, like taxiway edge lights. They outline the paved edge of the pad so a pilot at night can see where the pavement ends.
Q5How far apart are turn pad lights?
They are spaced closer on the curved parts of the marking than on the straight parts. Annex 14 gives not more than 15 m on the straight parts and 7.5 m on the curved parts. Confirm against the current edition and the approved design.
Q6Are turn pad lights part of the runway lighting?
They sit beside the runway, but they are taxiway-type lights in colour and purpose. How they are switched and monitored depends on the circuit design, so check the project drawings.
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