Simviation Forums

Last year, when I was going to baltimore, I was looking out the window of the plane, and I saw while we were taxiing markings on the ground.  In the middle of a taxiway, there was a box(painted on the ground) that looked like this

B747
AN124

What is it for

Looked like what ?  ::)


I'll bet it was most likely an IFR hold short line..

Sounds like the nose wheel stopping point at the gate. These allow the marshaller to know where to stop each individual aircraft due to orientation of the exit door, with regard to nosewheel displacement.

I don't think it was a gate thingy, because it was no where near a gate.  It's hard to explain. It was a black box with yellow letters in the middle of a taxi line

You might have been taxiing across an empty ramp area, which could have those for clearance or to show how far back the plane could be parked. I'll dig up my taxiway diagram thing and take a look....


EDIT: It's not on there, so it must be a parking area thing.

I'm guessing it must be for holding short befire a runway becuase both planes are realatively long...? They must be frequesnt visitors to the airport too...
Cheers,
Ashar

I don't know how frequent.  I've seen the 747 a couple of times but I've never seen the antonov

Sounds like a parking pad if its not at a gate.  Cuz thats exactly what parking pad/gates marking are made of.  A black background, yellow paint marks.  It doesnt sound like a hold short line, as all you really have to do is hold back a little further and just lean out to see the line.  

Those antonovs are huge!  They blew over a cessna that belonged to my flight school last september!

I'm guessing it must be for holding short befire a runway becuase both planes are realatively long...? They must be frequesnt visitors to the airport too...
Cheers,
Ashar

That wouldn't be practical, as the pilot probably can't see the marking-different planes don't need to hold short at different distances, the hold short LINE is far back enough to account for that

I'd say it's definitely for parking.

In Baltimore, when the Antonov comes in, the park it on a taxiway in between the runways.  I've seen this many times.    If this was really on a taxiway out in the open, then it was probably a guide for the ground crews.