Narrative:

An all white airport vehicle requested to work on the ski strip. The ski strip surface is compacted snow; as are the adjoining txwys. The infields are also covered with snow this time of yr. With binoculars; the vehicle was barely visible on the surface in daylight VFR conditions. Even on the paved and plowed runways the white vehicles are difficult to see because they blend in with the snow piles in the infields. Vehicles of this color operate on the airport daily. Advisory circular #150/5210-20 says this on the topic: 'vehicles that routinely operate on the airside should be marked/flagged for high daytime visibility and; if appropriate; lighted for nighttime operations. Vehicles that are equipped with marking and lighting devices should escort vehicles that are not marked and lighted. (See advisory circular 150/5210-5.) vehicles needing intermittent identify should be marked with magnetically attached markers; which are commercially available.' I submit that white is not a sufficiently visible marking for vehicle operations at this airport where we have snow on the surfaces for many months of the yr.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FAI TWR CTLR VOICED CONCERN REGARDING THE WHITE ARPT VEHICLES AND THE SNOW CONDITIONS FREQUENTLY EXPERIENCED.

Narrative: AN ALL WHITE ARPT VEHICLE REQUESTED TO WORK ON THE SKI STRIP. THE SKI STRIP SURFACE IS COMPACTED SNOW; AS ARE THE ADJOINING TXWYS. THE INFIELDS ARE ALSO COVERED WITH SNOW THIS TIME OF YR. WITH BINOCULARS; THE VEHICLE WAS BARELY VISIBLE ON THE SURFACE IN DAYLIGHT VFR CONDITIONS. EVEN ON THE PAVED AND PLOWED RWYS THE WHITE VEHICLES ARE DIFFICULT TO SEE BECAUSE THEY BLEND IN WITH THE SNOW PILES IN THE INFIELDS. VEHICLES OF THIS COLOR OPERATE ON THE ARPT DAILY. ADVISORY CIRCULAR #150/5210-20 SAYS THIS ON THE TOPIC: 'VEHICLES THAT ROUTINELY OPERATE ON THE AIRSIDE SHOULD BE MARKED/FLAGGED FOR HIGH DAYTIME VISIBILITY AND; IF APPROPRIATE; LIGHTED FOR NIGHTTIME OPS. VEHICLES THAT ARE EQUIPPED WITH MARKING AND LIGHTING DEVICES SHOULD ESCORT VEHICLES THAT ARE NOT MARKED AND LIGHTED. (SEE ADVISORY CIRCULAR 150/5210-5.) VEHICLES NEEDING INTERMITTENT IDENT SHOULD BE MARKED WITH MAGNETICALLY ATTACHED MARKERS; WHICH ARE COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE.' I SUBMIT THAT WHITE IS NOT A SUFFICIENTLY VISIBLE MARKING FOR VEHICLE OPS AT THIS ARPT WHERE WE HAVE SNOW ON THE SURFACES FOR MANY MONTHS OF THE YR.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 2009 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.