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SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/drone-runway-holding-position-markings

What do runway holding position markings look like?

Four yellow lines, two solid and two dashed, across the taxiway.

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  1. Four yellow lines, two solid and two dashed ✔
  2. A single white line with arrows
  3. Large white numbers on the pavement

Why: Holding position markings show where aircraft must stop before a runway. They are four yellow lines, two solid and two dashed. The solid lines are always on the side where the aircraft must hold.

Huh, didn't know that: At towered airports, pilots may not cross these markings onto the runway without ATC clearance.

The dad joke
Why did the airplane stop at the yellow lines? It didn't want to cross a line it couldn't take back.
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References

Answer: Four yellow lines, two solid and two dashed. Holding position markings show where aircraft must stop before a runway. They are four yellow lines, two solid and two dashed. The solid lines are always on the side where the aircraft must hold.

  1. Aeronautical Information Manual 2-3-5, Holding Position Markings www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/atpubs/aim_html/chap2_section_3.html
    They consist of four yellow lines, two solid and two dashed
    Checked 2026-10-09.

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