What are runway distance remaining signs?
A countdown beside the runway. White numerals on black, one about every 1,000 ft, each showing how many thousands of feet of runway are still ahead.
A runway distance remaining sign answers one question at the moment it matters most: how much runway do I have left? On landing roll it helps a pilot judge braking. On take-off it helps a pilot judge whether to continue or reject. The signs give the answer without the pilot looking away from the runway.
1White on black, unlike every other sign
The legend is a white numeral on a black panel. It is not an instruction, so it is not red. It does not name a place or a route, so it is not yellow. That makes it easy to tell from the red mandatory signs, the yellow-on-black location signs and the black-on-yellow direction and information signs.
2The number is thousands of feet
A single numeral, no unit. A 3 means about 3,000 ft of runway remain in the direction the pilot is travelling. On the 8,000 ft runway above, a pilot rolling left to right passes 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1 in turn. Rolling the other way, the pilot reads the signs that face that direction, at the same positions, and they also count down from 7 to 1.
3Spacing and the last sign
Signs sit about 1,000 ft apart along the runway side. The last one, the 1, is placed at least 950 ft from the runway end. When the runway is not an exact multiple of 1,000 ft, FAA guidance adds half of the excess at each runway end, and positions can also move a little to avoid intersections and other conflicts, so the sign and the true distance can differ slightly.
| Element | Rule |
|---|---|
| Purpose | Tells the pilot how much runway is left during landing roll or take-off |
| Colours | White numeral on a black background |
| Legend | A single numeral: thousands of feet of runway remaining |
| Spacing | About 1,000 ft, plus or minus 50 ft, along the runway |
| Last sign | The 1, at least 950 ft from the runway end |
| Uneven lengths | Half of the excess beyond a whole number of thousands is added at each runway end; positions may be adjusted around intersections and other conflicts |
| Side | Along one or both sides of the runway |
| Specification | FAA type L-858B (AC 150/5345-44); placement in AC 150/5340-18 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1What is a runway distance remaining sign?
A sign beside the runway with a white numeral on a black background. The numeral is the thousands of feet of runway left in the direction of travel, so a 3 means about 3,000 ft remain.
Q2What colours do runway distance remaining signs use?
White numerals on a black background. This differs from the yellow-on-black location signs, the black-on-yellow information and direction signs, and the white-on-red mandatory signs.
Q3How far apart are the signs?
About 1,000 ft apart (plus or minus 50 ft) along the side of the runway. Where the runway is not an exact multiple of 1,000 ft, FAA guidance adds half of the excess at each runway end, so the end gaps are slightly longer while the spacing between signs stays at about 1,000 ft.
Q4Where is the last sign, the 1?
At least 950 ft from the runway end, where about 1,000 ft of runway remains. It is the pilot's last visual cue of how much runway is left.
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