Aircraft markings are symbols and annotations painted on aircraft, primarily for visual identification. Types of aircraft markings include:
- Aircraft registration, unique alphanumeric string that identifies every aircraft
- Invasion stripes, alternating black and white bands painted on the fuselages and wings of World War II Allied aircraft, for the purpose of increased recognition by friendly forces
- Military aircraft insignia, applied to military aircraft to identify the nation or branch of military service
- United Kingdom
- Royal Air Force roundels, a circular identification mark used since 1915, United Kingdom
- United Kingdom military aircraft registration number, the alpha-numeric registration used to identify individual military aircraft
- Royal Canadian Air Force, roundels used from 1920–1945
- Hungarian Air Force, a set of aligned triangles which points toward the front of the aircraft
- Romanian Air Force#Aircraft markings, roundels on military vehicles and aircraft that use the colours of the Romanian flag
- Serbian Air Force and Air Defence, an adapted version of the former Royal Yugoslav Air Force roundel that was officially adopted in 2006
- South African Air Force, roundels adopted in 2002 that are distinct from the Army
- United States:
- United States military aircraft national insignia, a listing of the nationality markings used by military aircraft of the United States
- United States military aircraft serials, the serial numbers used to identify individual military aircraft
- USAAF unit identification aircraft markings, an identification code to identify the unit to which U.S. aircraft are assigned
- Tail code, markings, usually on the vertical stabiliser of U.S. military aircraft, that help to identify the unit and base assignment
- United Kingdom
- Nose art, decorative painting or design on the fuselage of an aircraft, often applied during conflicts
- Mission marks, monochrome stencil representations on the fuselage (typically adjacent to the cockpit) of individual ordinance items delivered during conflict by that specific aircraft
- List of air forces provides the markings used by each military organisation, with historical examples.
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Safety Markings for Wind Measurement Towers (Meteorological Evaluation Towers MET)
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Proper Marking of Wind Measurement Towers for Aviation Safety
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ชวนรู้จักธงชาติแบบจุด (Roundel) และแบบเหลี่ยม (Fin Flash) บนอากาศยาน
Transcription
This video is brought to you with funding from the Nebraska Aviation Trades Association and University of Nebraska Lincoln Extension. With a growing interest in wind energy for electrical production in the United States, areas such as the many areas including the Great Plains are being studied for potential wind farm locations. A key point of research, in these endeavors, is determining the wind speed, direction, and duration at a specific location. Wind energy companies use Meteorological Evaluation Towers, called MET Towers, to collect these data to determine the economic feasibility of a wind farm location. MET Towers are the most common means for evaluating wind speeds and direction in a specific location. They are typically tall, tubular steel towers with a small radius of 6 to 12 inches and average heights ranging from 100 -- 199 feet. Due to the height and thin nature of these towers, the tower visibility becomes a key safety issue. Proper marking significantly improves the visibility of MET towers for low flying aircraft, especially those used for agriculture. The Federal Aviation Administration, known as the FAA, has made recommendations for all MET towers in rural areas that are less than 200 feet above ground level. These recommendations were made in recognition of the threat tall towers can pose to aviation safety. These guidelines are strongly recommended for all MET Tower owners to follow. When these guide lines are not followed, MET Tower visibility is easily reduced to unnoticeable levels. This image shows an unmarked MET Tower from the view of a low flying aircraft pilot. Now, we will show the same shot but circle the MET tower to help you identify its location. Under these circumstances, the importance of proper MET Tower marking is understood. In June of 2011, the FAA with the Department of Transportation released Policy Statement 14 CFR Part 77. This statement included the recommended FAA guidelines for MET Tower marking. These recommendations include information regarding painting of MET Towers along with marking guy wires with high visibility sleeves and marking balls. These regulations will improve safety for all low flying aerial applicators, life flight crews and patients, aerial fire suppression, aerial utility patrols, aerial law surveillance and other types of low altitude aviation. FAA guidelines recommend for MET Towers to be painted with seven alternating bands of aviation orange and white. Each band should measure 1/7th the height of the tower, and both ends of the tower should be painted with bands of aviation orange, as shown in this video. For wire visibility, it is recommended that both sleeves and spherical marker balls be used. The FAA recommends one high visibility sleeve on each guy wire anchor point that will reach a height well above the crop or vegetation canopy, and another sleeve installed on each of the outer guy wires. The FAA recommends a total of 8 high visibility spherical marker (or cable) balls of aviation orange color attached to the guy wires. Four marker balls should be attached to guy wires at the top of the tower no further than 15 feet from the top wire connection to the tower, and 4 marker balls at or below the midpoint of the structure on the outer guy wires. Once the MET tower has been painted and the spherical marker balls and sleeves fixed to the guy wires, the tower is ready to be raised once again. It should be noted that the FAA concludes that it would not be practical to recommend lights for the type MET Towers addressed in this video. A properly marked MET Tower increases the level visibility of the tower to low flying aircraft, effectively improving safety for all agriculture pilots. Another key component in providing maximum aviation safety is registering MET towers with the state department of aeronautics. While it is unfeasible for the FAA to maintain a national database of MET towers with heights less than 200 feet, it is highly recommended for aviation safety that MET Tower companies or land owners register MET Tower locations. In the state of Nebraska, law requires this. For MET Towers located in Nebraska, •please register at the following web address: www.aero.state.ne.us/windtowers • registration may be mailed to: Nebraska Department of Aeronautics 3431 Aviation Road, Suite 150 Lincoln, NE 68524 Thank you for your interest and for your properly marked MET Towers. Properly marked MET towers as per FAA guidance does save lives. This informational video comes to you from the Nebraska Aviation Trades Association and University of Nebraska Lincoln Extension.
See also
- Aircraft livery, the full graphic treatment of aircraft, often for branding
- All pages with titles containing Aircraft marking
- Marking (disambiguation)