Narrative:

The txwys into and out of the new paris, france (cdg), ramp are very, very hard to see during ground taxi operations both during the day and especially at night. There are no standard ICAO signs nor proper taxiway lighting, making it almost impossible to determine the proper taxi route, much less visually see the taxiway. Even progressive taxi instructions from cdg ground controllers are difficult to interpret and understand. The NOTAMS as published in the company flight papers, although somewhat helpful to bring the problem to the attention of the pilots, are no substitute for proper lighting and signs. Further, with the spat of extremely bad WX in europe to include heavy rains and gusting gale force winds reducing visibility to unacceptable minimums, determining proper taxi rtes and accomplishing the actual taxi was virtually impossible. At one point when it was raining very hard, a cdg company tug drove about 100 ft directly right in front of our aircraft from left to right causing me to come to an emergency stop to avoid the tug. Recommendation: the cdg txwys need to be properly lighted and marked with ICAO signs immediately. Further, the cdg ground controllers should provide exact progressive taxi instructions to all aircraft from exiting the runway until entering the ramp and vice versa. Additionally, company aircraft should use all exterior lights except the strobes to facilitate illuminating the taxi route. I have notified my company safety office of this problem and have filed 4 flight safety reports with company on dec/tue/99, dec/wed/99, dec/sat/99, and dec/sun/99.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT RPTS POORLY MARKED TXWYS AND DIFFICULT GND NAV AT CDG, FO.

Narrative: THE TXWYS INTO AND OUT OF THE NEW PARIS, FRANCE (CDG), RAMP ARE VERY, VERY HARD TO SEE DURING GND TAXI OPS BOTH DURING THE DAY AND ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT. THERE ARE NO STANDARD ICAO SIGNS NOR PROPER TXWY LIGHTING, MAKING IT ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO DETERMINE THE PROPER TAXI RTE, MUCH LESS VISUALLY SEE THE TXWY. EVEN PROGRESSIVE TAXI INSTRUCTIONS FROM CDG GND CTLRS ARE DIFFICULT TO INTERPRET AND UNDERSTAND. THE NOTAMS AS PUBLISHED IN THE COMPANY FLT PAPERS, ALTHOUGH SOMEWHAT HELPFUL TO BRING THE PROB TO THE ATTN OF THE PLTS, ARE NO SUBSTITUTE FOR PROPER LIGHTING AND SIGNS. FURTHER, WITH THE SPAT OF EXTREMELY BAD WX IN EUROPE TO INCLUDE HVY RAINS AND GUSTING GALE FORCE WINDS REDUCING VISIBILITY TO UNACCEPTABLE MINIMUMS, DETERMINING PROPER TAXI RTES AND ACCOMPLISHING THE ACTUAL TAXI WAS VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE. AT ONE POINT WHEN IT WAS RAINING VERY HARD, A CDG COMPANY TUG DROVE ABOUT 100 FT DIRECTLY RIGHT IN FRONT OF OUR ACFT FROM L TO R CAUSING ME TO COME TO AN EMER STOP TO AVOID THE TUG. RECOMMENDATION: THE CDG TXWYS NEED TO BE PROPERLY LIGHTED AND MARKED WITH ICAO SIGNS IMMEDIATELY. FURTHER, THE CDG GND CTLRS SHOULD PROVIDE EXACT PROGRESSIVE TAXI INSTRUCTIONS TO ALL ACFT FROM EXITING THE RWY UNTIL ENTERING THE RAMP AND VICE VERSA. ADDITIONALLY, COMPANY ACFT SHOULD USE ALL EXTERIOR LIGHTS EXCEPT THE STROBES TO FACILITATE ILLUMINATING THE TAXI RTE. I HAVE NOTIFIED MY COMPANY SAFETY OFFICE OF THIS PROB AND HAVE FILED 4 FLT SAFETY RPTS WITH COMPANY ON DEC/TUE/99, DEC/WED/99, DEC/SAT/99, AND DEC/SUN/99.

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.