Definition
Landing strip indicators are L-shaped ground markers located in the segmented circle at an airport without an operating control tower, installed in pairs and aligned to show the alignment of each landing strip (runway) available for use.
Plain English
Markers on the ground near the wind indicator at non-towered airports that show pilots which directions the runways run, so they know which runways are available and how they line up.
Context Anchor
Seen in airport traffic pattern information, especially when using the segmented circle to understand runway layout and pattern direction at a nontowered airport.
Derivation
“Landing” means bringing an aircraft down to the surface. “Strip” originally means a long, narrow piece; in aviation, a landing strip is a long, narrow area used for takeoff and landing. “Indicator” means something that points out or shows information.
Why Pilots Care
They let pilots determine the active runway and proper traffic pattern without needing radio information.
Intuition Check
Do not read “strip” here as just any piece of ground. In this context, it means a runway or prepared landing area, and the indicators show its alignment, not the wind direction by themselves.
Example Sentence 1
On the downwind leg, the pilot glanced at the landing strip indicators in the segmented circle to confirm the runway alignment before turning base.
Example Sentence 2
With no radio calls available, the landing strip indicators confirmed the preferred landing direction for the wind.