FAA Testing New Taxiway Screens to Prevent Visual Confusion

Airport safety researchers at the FAA's William J. Hughes Technical Center have created a prototype screen that can be placed at the end of a runway to mask potentially confusing images of aircraft on taxiways beyond the end of an operating runway.

The screens "hide" aircraft on "end-around" taxiways from the view of pilots preparing to take off on active runways.  The idea is to ensure that if a pilot on takeoff sees an aircraft appearing to cross the runway ahead, it is a true incursion, and not an aircraft properly moving beyond the runway's end.

Atlanta and Detroit Metro have such taxiways - built beyond the 1,000-foot runway safety area - and one will be installed soon at Dallas-Fort Worth.  Their purpose is to allow aircraft to taxi between the runways and terminal gates without having to cross active runways.

The prototype system, built and tested by FAA researchers, is a 112-foot long, 13-foot high plastic cardboard screen set up on two mobile trailers, allowing for easy movement on and off the runway.  The screens are being tested in different configurations.

The screens were set up recently at Atlantic City at the end of Runway 13-31. Researchers used an airport vehicle to simulate an airplane taking off, and videotaped its movement along the runway to see how well the screens blocked a pilot's view of the taxiway areas, beyond the end of the runway.

Upcoming tests will determine if the screen is more effective with chevron stripes or a checkerboard pattern.  Testers also will study the effectiveness of reflective screening materials and the best lighting configuration to make the screens most visible at night.  Also, the new screen will be double the size - increased to 224 feet in length - for the next set of tests.  Testing is expected to continue through April.

This research is intended to support a national agency standard for end-around taxiway screens.  02-05-2006.

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