A SINGLE ENG PILOT MISSED TAXIING INTO THE RNM COMPASS ROSE ON TXWY 'A' BECAUSE HE DID NOT SEE A SIGN ON TXWY 'A' INDICATING COMPASS ROSE LOCATION.

Narrative

I WAS PREPARING TO LEAVE RNM AT APPROXIMATELY XA:45. I WAS PARKED AT THE TRANSIENT PARKING AREA AT THE BASE OF THE TOWER. I CONTACTED RNM GROUND ON 121.65 AND REQUESTED TAXI INSTRUCTIONS AND ADVISED 'CLEARANCE ON REQUEST.' GROUND CONTROL ADVISED ME TO TAXI TO THE 'COMPASS ROSE' AREA FOR RUN-UP AND TO WAIT FOR MY IFR CLEARANCE TO BE ISSUED. I LOCATED THE COMPASS ROSE AREA ON MY AIRPORT GUIDE AND PROCEEDED TO EXIT THE PARKING AREA AND ENTER TAXIWAY 'A' AND PROCEED EAST TOWARD THE TURN-OFF FOR THE COMPASS ROSE AREA. UNFORTUNATELY THE COMPASS ROSE TURN OFF IS NOT MARKED BY AIRPORT SIGNS (OR IF IT IS; IT CERTAINLY WAS NOT VISIBLE TO ME). THE COLOR OF THE PAVEMENT IS ALSO VERY SIMILAR TO THE COLOR OF THE DIRT ALONG THE TAXIWAY. UNFORTUNATELY I TAXIED PAST THE COMPASS ROSE-TURNOFF POINT BEFORE I WAS ABLE TO SEE IT AND HAD TO PARK ALONG THE EDGE OF TAXIWAY 'A' TO COPY MY IFR CLEARANCE. THIS MAY HAVE CAUSED SOME DELAY TO SOME OF THE OTHER AIRCRAFT THAT WERE DEPARTING RNM. A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS PROBABLY THE NUMBER OF OTHER AIRCRAFT TAXIING FOR DEPARTURE; CAUSING MORE RADIO TRAFFIC ON THE GROUND CONTROL FREQUENCY AND POSSIBLY PREVENTING THE CONTROLLER FROM ADVISING ME WHEN TO TURN INTO THE COMPASS ROSE AREA. I WOULD LIKE TO SUGGEST THAT THE AIRPORT ERECT A PROMINENT SIGN ALONG TAXIWAY 'A' THAT CLEARLY SHOWS THE TURN-OFF TO THE COMPASS ROSE AREA. I BELIEVE THIS WOULD FACILITATE GROUND OPERATIONS FOR TRANSIENT AIRCRAFT AND PREVENT NEEDLESS DELAYS AND CONFUSION.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: REPORTER STATED THAT HE LOOKED CAREFULLY FOR A TXWY SIGN AND DID NOT SEE IT. THIS WAS HIS FIRST TIME AT THIS ARPT AND DOES NOT KNOW IF THE COMPASS ROSE IS A NORMAL RUN UP AREA; BUT IN HIS CASE BECAUSE OF HIS IFR CLEARANCE DELAY; ATC SUGGESTED THAT HE WAIT IN THE COMPASS ROSE AREA. EVEN IF THE COMPASS ROSE IS NOT NORMALLY UTILIZED AS A RUN UP AREA IT SHOULD BE MARKED FOR PILOTS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE ARPT.