Definition
Yellow markings painted directly on the taxiway surface, consisting of the holding position designation in yellow letters and numerals on a black background, used to supplement the standard holding position sign where the sign cannot be installed on the left side of the taxiway. They identify the runway and indicate the point at which an aircraft must hold and not cross without ATC clearance.
Plain English
Large yellow letters and numbers painted on the taxiway pavement that tell you which runway you are about to enter and where you must stop and wait for clearance.
Context Anchor
Seen while taxiing near runway entrances and runway intersections, usually near a red runway holding position sign.
Derivation
Hold originally means to keep or remain in place. In aviation, a holding position is a place where you keep the aircraft stopped until you have permission to continue; surface painted means the instruction is painted directly on the pavement.
Why Pilots Care
These markings help prevent runway incursions by clearly showing the limit of the protected area.
Intuition Check
Do not treat these as ordinary painted guide lines. They mark a stop point: if you are approaching from the side where you are expected to hold, stop before the markings until you are cleared or it is safe and permitted to cross.
Example Sentence 1
As we taxied toward Runway 27, the surface painted holding position markings showed '27' in yellow on the pavement, so I stopped and held short until tower cleared us to cross.
Example Sentence 2
During low visibility, the crew used the surface painted holding position markings as a visual reference to remain clear of the runway.