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Winter 2017 Newsletter | Ready for Inspection | FAA Position on Thermoplastic | Marriage on the Rocks | What's New?

FAA Clarifies Position on Thermoplastic
By Mike Speidel Connect with Mike

I was in the middle of presenting an Airfield Marking Symposium last summer when one of our regulars came to me with her phone. She showed me an email that had been forwarded to her by her FAA Lead Airport Certification Safety Inspector with the subject line "Fwd: Preformed Thermoplastics no longer supported by FAA". The email included a memo issued by FAA headquarters that had presumably been forwarded to at least all airports certificated under Part 139 (read the Aug 2016 memo).

FAA Preformed Thermoplastic "Wow" was our shared thought. When I sought out an Ennis-Flint (manufacturers of AirMark) representative for more information, I was again surprised to learn he had just heard the news, too. Shortly thereafter, the symposium's host airport made a decision to "skip" the demonstration of AirMark the following afternoon in response to the FAA's memo; perhaps the perception was that the FAA unilaterally prohibited the use of preformed thermoplastic markings.

As it turns out, the industry's reaction to the original memo may have been an overreaction, although it's understandable based on the original memo and the email subject line preceding it. Since, FAA Headquarters in Washington, D.C., issued a second memo, dated January 6, 2017, clarifying its position on preformed thermoplastic markings (read the Jan 2017 memo).

The FAA's current position on preformed thermoplastic markings includes:

  • Preformed thermoplastic markings are still approved for use under FAA AC 150/5370-10G.
  • When supported by a marking life cycle cost analysis (LCCA), as outlined in the FAA Airport Improvement Program (AIP) Handbook, projects funded with AIP or Passenger Facility Charges (PFC) funds may be used for the following markings:
    1. Surface Painted Hold Signs
    2. Taxiway Direction and Location Signs
    3. Geographic Position Signs
    4. Vehicular Roadway Markings on Airfields
    5. Zipper Lines
    6. Taxiway Edge Lines
  • Other marking types are still available and may be used on airfields, but are not AIP eligible.
  • Assess existing thermoplastic markings to verify marking performance.

The memo included additional background, perhaps most importantly, the importance of surface preparation and proper application: "No airport marking will perform without proper surface preparation, proper materials and proper installation means and methods."

The FAA will reevaluate these recommendations once the "Paint Durability Study" is completed by its Airport Technology Research and Development Branch. The first test markings will hit the pavement in April 2017.

If you're specifying preformed thermoplastic as part of your project: we are the most qualified source for your marking LCCA.

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Winter 2017 Newsletter | Ready for Inspection | FAA Position on Thermoplastic | Marriage on the Rocks | What's New?
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