Definition
Ground markers at non-towered airports that show pilots which direction to land and which traffic pattern to fly. The most common is the segmented circle, a visible arrangement of markers placed near the wind indicator. Around or near it are L-shaped extensions called landing strip indicators, which align with each runway and show the direction of landing for that runway. Additional markers, called traffic pattern indicators, extend from the landing strip indicators to show whether the pattern uses standard left turns or non-standard right turns.
Plain English
Painted or built ground markers at smaller airports that tell you which way to land and how to fly the pattern when there is no control tower telling you.
Context Anchor
Seen when approaching or overflying a nontowered airport to determine the traffic pattern and the preferred landing direction.
Derivation
Combines 'landing' (bringing an aircraft to the ground), 'direction' (the way to proceed), and 'indicators' (devices that point out information). The aviation use specifies alignment with wind for safe operations.
Why Pilots Care
Aligns landings with wind to reduce groundspeed and maintain aircraft control.
Intuition Check
Do not assume a landing direction indicator is a clearance to land. It only shows the expected direction of landing and takeoff; the pilot still must check wind, traffic, runway condition, and safety.
Example Sentence 1
Approaching an unfamiliar non-towered field, the pilot overflew the airport above pattern altitude and checked the landing direction indicators to confirm the active runway and pattern direction.
Example Sentence 2
At the uncontrolled field, the tetrahedron served as the landing direction indicator for the preferred runway.