Airport and Ground Operations Practice Exam

Runway signage is about clearly telling pilots where they are and what to do as they move between runways and taxiways. A Runway Vacated sign provides a clear cue that you have left the runway and are now on the exit taxiway. This is especially important when the exit taxiway does not have taxiway centerline lights, because without those lights you can’t easily follow a lit path off the runway or know exactly where the runway ends. The sign acts as a definitive, visible indication that you’ve vacated the runway.

Taxiway centerline lights would guide you along the exit path, but their absence on the exit taxiway is precisely when the Runway Vacated sign is needed. Direction signs help you navigate to other areas, holding position markings show where to stop, and distance remaining signs indicate how much runway remains; none of these directly signal that you have vacated the runway in the absence of centerline lighting on the exit taxiway.