Narrative:

After landing and clearing runway 27R at phl, it is virtually impossible to determine whether you are on a taxiway or not. Between the runway and the ramp area there are no blue taxiway lights, no identifying signs or markings, and very limited green taxi centerline lights. I believe most of the area is stressed for aircraft movement, but after dark the phl airport is a very trying area to operate in. Potential exists for aircraft to travel in non stressed or non taxi areas because no guidance is available. At the very least it would help if the yellow taxi lines were maintained (many were faded) or more easily distinguishable. (Ie, yellow painted on a contrasting base coat.) callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: I am very familiar with phl airport layout but am very uncomfortable with attempting to follow the txwys at night in precipitation when taxiway markings are so obscure and extreme lack of taxiway lighting. Have been going into phl for a number of yrs and nothing has changed but obscuration of what markings there are is making it very difficult to find and follow txwys.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: REPORTER MAKES A GENERAL COMPLAINT REGARDING POOR TXWY MARKINGS AND LIGHTING FOR NIGHT OPERATION.

Narrative: AFTER LNDG AND CLEARING RWY 27R AT PHL, IT IS VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO DETERMINE WHETHER YOU ARE ON A TXWY OR NOT. BETWEEN THE RWY AND THE RAMP AREA THERE ARE NO BLUE TXWY LIGHTS, NO IDENTIFYING SIGNS OR MARKINGS, AND VERY LIMITED GREEN TAXI CENTERLINE LIGHTS. I BELIEVE MOST OF THE AREA IS STRESSED FOR ACFT MOVEMENT, BUT AFTER DARK THE PHL ARPT IS A VERY TRYING AREA TO OPERATE IN. POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR ACFT TO TRAVEL IN NON STRESSED OR NON TAXI AREAS BECAUSE NO GUIDANCE IS AVAILABLE. AT THE VERY LEAST IT WOULD HELP IF THE YELLOW TAXI LINES WERE MAINTAINED (MANY WERE FADED) OR MORE EASILY DISTINGUISHABLE. (IE, YELLOW PAINTED ON A CONTRASTING BASE COAT.) CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: I AM VERY FAMILIAR WITH PHL ARPT LAYOUT BUT AM VERY UNCOMFORTABLE WITH ATTEMPTING TO FOLLOW THE TXWYS AT NIGHT IN PRECIPITATION WHEN TXWY MARKINGS ARE SO OBSCURE AND EXTREME LACK OF TXWY LIGHTING. HAVE BEEN GOING INTO PHL FOR A NUMBER OF YRS AND NOTHING HAS CHANGED BUT OBSCURATION OF WHAT MARKINGS THERE ARE IS MAKING IT VERY DIFFICULT TO FIND AND FOLLOW TXWYS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.