How to Taxi
Taxi is the controlled movement of an airplane under its own power while on the ground. Aircraft taxi around the airports using taxi waves to get back and forth between their parking spot and the runways. You may initially think that taxing an aircraft is like driving a car, but there are some major differences between the two. Unlike steering a car with a steering wheel, small general aviation aircraft turn with the rudder pedals. Pressing forward on a rudder pedal will rotate the nose wheel in that respective direction as you taxi around the airport, stay on the center line of the taxiways. Now since you sit on the left side of the plane, the center line should be on your right. Specifically, the line should appear as if it's passing under your right knee or thigh. You can also reference the rivet lines on the engine cowling to maintain center line. Make small adjustments promptly to avoid having to overcorrect as you taxi. Be aware that while you taxi, the rudder pedals are connected to the nose through springs. Because of this, you have to be moving forward before the nose wheel will turn. There is also a small amount of lag between when you press the rudder to when the plane actually starts to turn, so anticipate leading the turns with rudder.
Speaking of moving forward, the equivalent of a gas pedal in a car is the throttle in the plane to accelerate simply increased power by moving the throttle forward. Once the plane is up to the desired taxi speed, the throttle can be returned to idle, and more often than not, that idle power will be enough to keep the aircraft moving at that same speed.
Like a car, aircraft have brakes. However, instead of having a single brake pedal, there is a brake associated with each rudder pedal. It is important to not confuse the steering controls of the rudder pedals with the braking controls. To steer, your feet should push forward on the pedal pressing on the lower half of the pedal. However, to break you should slide your feet up and press on the upper half. With the two distinct brake pedals, you could break each main wheel individually. Because of this, braking normally requires the pilot to step on both pedals simultaneously. However, these individual brakes can also be used to your advantage. Using what's called differential braking, you can make tighter turns on the ground than what would otherwise be impossible to accomplish with the rudder pedals alone.
To make sure your brakes are operating correctly, a brake check should be performed at the beginning of each flight as soon as you're ready to taxi. This is accomplished by releasing the parking brake, ensuring clearance with obstacles, adding a slight amount of power to start moving, then immediately returning the power to idle and stepping on the brakes to make sure you stop. Pilots need to be aware of their surroundings at all times, especially while taxing. They should try to visualize where the wingtips are and ensure that the airplane will not come into contact with any other airplane or obstacle. They should also not end up in a place where an airplane shouldn't be with. That said, the pilot should continuously scan the area not only in front of the airplane, but also the sides of the airplane to ensure they stay clear of any hazards.
Now how fast should you taxi the airplane? There is no specific taxi speed limit. Of course, the slower the pilot taxis, the easier it is to stop or react to other vehicles, airplanes, or obstacles, but that simply isn't always practical. On a straight taxi way, a pilot can taxi at a reasonable rate, perhaps 15 to 20 knots. When operating at an unfamiliar airport in tight areas or while turning, the airplane should be taxed slower to ensure safety. Remember to reduce your throttle once you've reached your desired taxi speed. It's also important to minimize brake usage, so do not apply the brakes. While the throttle is forward, you wouldn't step on the gas pedal and brake pedal at the same time while driving a car, so don't do it in an airplane on the riddle ramp, our speed limit is ten seconds between tails, which is roughly two knots. In order to achieve this slow speed, keep the throttle at a low RPM setting, keeping your feet positioned near the brake so that you can press them down gently when you notice yourself speeding up.
We mentioned earlier that the yoke was used a taxi, but we haven't yet discussed its purpose.
The yoke is used to correct for wind while taxing. It's important to continue to fly while on the ground. Even though you're not airborne, you still need to have the mentality of flying the aircraft because wind is always a factor. If you do not have proper wind correction, maintaining directional control may be more difficult. Worse, the airplane could potentially get blown off the taxiway or in extreme wind conditions, get blown over. In calm winds, the ailerons and elevator should be held in the neutral position. However, on windy days, the pilot should deflect the ailerons and elevator to keep the wind from lifting those respective flight surfaces off the ground. The pilot can use the wind sock to determine which direction a wind is blowing from. A helpful saying that can be used is turn into the wind and dive away from it.
The proper procedure goes as follows. When taxiing with the left or right quartering headwind, hold the elevator neutral and rotate the yoke into the wind. This reduces the lifting action on the upwind wing and increases the lift on the downwind wing, which together counteract the wind from trying to lift the upwind wing. When taxing with a left or right quartering tailwind, the elevator should be held in the full forward or down position, preventing the wind from lifting the tail of the aircraft off the ground. Additionally, the yoke should be rotated away from the wind. Since the wind is now coming from behind the opposite aileron deflection should be used to keep the wing from lifting up. Taxing the airplane safely takes practice, but in time the mechanics of it will become second. Nature. Taxing at a safe speed, using the proper crosswind correction and looking ahead for any potential hazards will help ensure a safe taxi experience.
In this lesson you will learn how to navigate your way around the airport, where to find taxiway signs and markings, and what a typical taxi clearance will sound like. A typical taxi route brings the airplane from the ramp to the runway and later back to the ramp. Pilots taxiing airplanes must observe the signs and painted markings that direct and help them navigate around the airport. To differentiate a runway from a taxi way, taxiways are given letter designators as opposed to number designators and are painted with yellow markings instead of white ones. Taxiways will have a solid yellow stripe to mark the center of the taxiway and at larger airports solid double yellow lines will mark the edge to help you get where you're going. Airports use taxiway signs and markings. The signs are posted to the side of the taxiway.
Sometimes markings will be painted on the taxiway surface. They are used when regular signs do not exist or to supplement the signs. Taxiway location signs have a black background with yellow text and a yellow border. They show you the designation of the taxi way that you are currently on. Often you will see these signs in conjunction with direction signs or runway position holding signs. Direction signs have a yellow background with black text. The text indicates the designation of each intersecting taxiway and includes an arrow pointing in the direction of the turn required to get onto that taxiway. When a taxiway comes in contact with a runway, runway holding position markings commonly referred to as Hold short lines are used. These markings identify where an aircraft is supposed to stop when approaching a runway. They consist of four yellow lines too solid and two dashed, extending across the width of the taxiway. The solid lines are always on the side where the aircraft is supposed to hold. This means that the solid lines are on the taxiway side and the dashed lines are on the runway side. When approaching these markings. If you are on the side with solid lines, you must have permission to cross the Hold short line.
If you are instead on the side with the dashed lines, no permission is needed to cross, and you should make sure the entire airplane is passed the double solid yellow lines before stopping.
To coincide with these hold lines, airports may use an enhanced taxiway center line. This enhanced center line consists of parallel dashed yellow lines painted on each side of the center line and is used up to 100 and 50 feet prior to a runway. This warns the pilot that they are approaching a runway holding position, marking or hold shortline and may need to stop. Additionally, some runway crossings include yellow flashing, elevated guard lights or in pavement hold lights to help pilots identify these critical locations. Of course, all of these signs and markings won't do you much good. If you don't know where you're supposed to go when flying at a non-towered airport, you will be expected to determine which runway is in use by determining the wind direction, listening to the Common Traffic Advisory frequency, or simply watching out for traffic in the pattern. Once you have determined the runway in use, it will be up to you to figure out which route to follow to get to the approach end of the runway for takeoff. If you were flying out of an airport with an operating control tower, you will be required to get taxi instructions prior to taxiing to the active runway.
Typically ground control will give you the most direct taxi route available to the runway. The taxi clearance is organized as follows. First, you will be assigned your taxi destination if you are taxi out for takeoff. This will most likely be a runway assignment. At larger airports like Daytona Beach. You may also receive a taxiway assignment along with the runway. This means that you will be doing an intersection takeoff instead of utilizing the entire length of the runway. After your destination assignment, you will receive the route to follow to your destination. This will consist of the taxi ways that you need to use to get to your destination. Typically the controller will not tell you whether you need to turn left or right onto each of the taxi ways. You will figure that out yourself using your airport diagram. If your taxi route involves crossing runways, you will also be instructed whether you are allowed to cross those runways or if you must hold short of them. Even if a runway is not in use, you will still need that clearance from the controller.
Controllers can only clear airplanes to cross one runway at a time, so if your route involves crossing more than one, you will not be cleared to cross any of the additional runways until you have already crossed the first one. When in doubt, hold short of runways and ask ground. If you have clearance cross here is a typical clearance you might receive from Daytona Ground.
9, 15 Holding short at Rome, one ready to taxi. 9, 15 eight be ground we, seven left intersection, november four tax member cross WE. 106. You will need to write down the taxi instructions, read them back to ground control and then brief the taxi route with other crew members to avoid any confusion and confirm any hold short instructions while taxing. Always have your airport diagram out for reference and follow along as you taxi taxing at unfamiliar airports without a diagram can be confusing and could result in a deviation from your ATC taxi clearance or worse yet a runway incursion. Taking the time to understand the markings and signs at an airport will make following your taxi instructions easier when in doubt, stop the aircraft and ask ATC for help.
Speaking of moving forward, the equivalent of a gas pedal in a car is the throttle in the plane to accelerate simply increased power by moving the throttle forward. Once the plane is up to the desired taxi speed, the throttle can be returned to idle, and more often than not, that idle power will be enough to keep the aircraft moving at that same speed.
Like a car, aircraft have brakes. However, instead of having a single brake pedal, there is a brake associated with each rudder pedal. It is important to not confuse the steering controls of the rudder pedals with the braking controls. To steer, your feet should push forward on the pedal pressing on the lower half of the pedal. However, to break you should slide your feet up and press on the upper half. With the two distinct brake pedals, you could break each main wheel individually. Because of this, braking normally requires the pilot to step on both pedals simultaneously. However, these individual brakes can also be used to your advantage. Using what's called differential braking, you can make tighter turns on the ground than what would otherwise be impossible to accomplish with the rudder pedals alone.
To make sure your brakes are operating correctly, a brake check should be performed at the beginning of each flight as soon as you're ready to taxi. This is accomplished by releasing the parking brake, ensuring clearance with obstacles, adding a slight amount of power to start moving, then immediately returning the power to idle and stepping on the brakes to make sure you stop. Pilots need to be aware of their surroundings at all times, especially while taxing. They should try to visualize where the wingtips are and ensure that the airplane will not come into contact with any other airplane or obstacle. They should also not end up in a place where an airplane shouldn't be with. That said, the pilot should continuously scan the area not only in front of the airplane, but also the sides of the airplane to ensure they stay clear of any hazards.
Now how fast should you taxi the airplane? There is no specific taxi speed limit. Of course, the slower the pilot taxis, the easier it is to stop or react to other vehicles, airplanes, or obstacles, but that simply isn't always practical. On a straight taxi way, a pilot can taxi at a reasonable rate, perhaps 15 to 20 knots. When operating at an unfamiliar airport in tight areas or while turning, the airplane should be taxed slower to ensure safety. Remember to reduce your throttle once you've reached your desired taxi speed. It's also important to minimize brake usage, so do not apply the brakes. While the throttle is forward, you wouldn't step on the gas pedal and brake pedal at the same time while driving a car, so don't do it in an airplane on the riddle ramp, our speed limit is ten seconds between tails, which is roughly two knots. In order to achieve this slow speed, keep the throttle at a low RPM setting, keeping your feet positioned near the brake so that you can press them down gently when you notice yourself speeding up.
We mentioned earlier that the yoke was used a taxi, but we haven't yet discussed its purpose.
The yoke is used to correct for wind while taxing. It's important to continue to fly while on the ground. Even though you're not airborne, you still need to have the mentality of flying the aircraft because wind is always a factor. If you do not have proper wind correction, maintaining directional control may be more difficult. Worse, the airplane could potentially get blown off the taxiway or in extreme wind conditions, get blown over. In calm winds, the ailerons and elevator should be held in the neutral position. However, on windy days, the pilot should deflect the ailerons and elevator to keep the wind from lifting those respective flight surfaces off the ground. The pilot can use the wind sock to determine which direction a wind is blowing from. A helpful saying that can be used is turn into the wind and dive away from it.
The proper procedure goes as follows. When taxiing with the left or right quartering headwind, hold the elevator neutral and rotate the yoke into the wind. This reduces the lifting action on the upwind wing and increases the lift on the downwind wing, which together counteract the wind from trying to lift the upwind wing. When taxing with a left or right quartering tailwind, the elevator should be held in the full forward or down position, preventing the wind from lifting the tail of the aircraft off the ground. Additionally, the yoke should be rotated away from the wind. Since the wind is now coming from behind the opposite aileron deflection should be used to keep the wing from lifting up. Taxing the airplane safely takes practice, but in time the mechanics of it will become second. Nature. Taxing at a safe speed, using the proper crosswind correction and looking ahead for any potential hazards will help ensure a safe taxi experience.
In this lesson you will learn how to navigate your way around the airport, where to find taxiway signs and markings, and what a typical taxi clearance will sound like. A typical taxi route brings the airplane from the ramp to the runway and later back to the ramp. Pilots taxiing airplanes must observe the signs and painted markings that direct and help them navigate around the airport. To differentiate a runway from a taxi way, taxiways are given letter designators as opposed to number designators and are painted with yellow markings instead of white ones. Taxiways will have a solid yellow stripe to mark the center of the taxiway and at larger airports solid double yellow lines will mark the edge to help you get where you're going. Airports use taxiway signs and markings. The signs are posted to the side of the taxiway.
Sometimes markings will be painted on the taxiway surface. They are used when regular signs do not exist or to supplement the signs. Taxiway location signs have a black background with yellow text and a yellow border. They show you the designation of the taxi way that you are currently on. Often you will see these signs in conjunction with direction signs or runway position holding signs. Direction signs have a yellow background with black text. The text indicates the designation of each intersecting taxiway and includes an arrow pointing in the direction of the turn required to get onto that taxiway. When a taxiway comes in contact with a runway, runway holding position markings commonly referred to as Hold short lines are used. These markings identify where an aircraft is supposed to stop when approaching a runway. They consist of four yellow lines too solid and two dashed, extending across the width of the taxiway. The solid lines are always on the side where the aircraft is supposed to hold. This means that the solid lines are on the taxiway side and the dashed lines are on the runway side. When approaching these markings. If you are on the side with solid lines, you must have permission to cross the Hold short line.
If you are instead on the side with the dashed lines, no permission is needed to cross, and you should make sure the entire airplane is passed the double solid yellow lines before stopping.
To coincide with these hold lines, airports may use an enhanced taxiway center line. This enhanced center line consists of parallel dashed yellow lines painted on each side of the center line and is used up to 100 and 50 feet prior to a runway. This warns the pilot that they are approaching a runway holding position, marking or hold shortline and may need to stop. Additionally, some runway crossings include yellow flashing, elevated guard lights or in pavement hold lights to help pilots identify these critical locations. Of course, all of these signs and markings won't do you much good. If you don't know where you're supposed to go when flying at a non-towered airport, you will be expected to determine which runway is in use by determining the wind direction, listening to the Common Traffic Advisory frequency, or simply watching out for traffic in the pattern. Once you have determined the runway in use, it will be up to you to figure out which route to follow to get to the approach end of the runway for takeoff. If you were flying out of an airport with an operating control tower, you will be required to get taxi instructions prior to taxiing to the active runway.
Typically ground control will give you the most direct taxi route available to the runway. The taxi clearance is organized as follows. First, you will be assigned your taxi destination if you are taxi out for takeoff. This will most likely be a runway assignment. At larger airports like Daytona Beach. You may also receive a taxiway assignment along with the runway. This means that you will be doing an intersection takeoff instead of utilizing the entire length of the runway. After your destination assignment, you will receive the route to follow to your destination. This will consist of the taxi ways that you need to use to get to your destination. Typically the controller will not tell you whether you need to turn left or right onto each of the taxi ways. You will figure that out yourself using your airport diagram. If your taxi route involves crossing runways, you will also be instructed whether you are allowed to cross those runways or if you must hold short of them. Even if a runway is not in use, you will still need that clearance from the controller.
Controllers can only clear airplanes to cross one runway at a time, so if your route involves crossing more than one, you will not be cleared to cross any of the additional runways until you have already crossed the first one. When in doubt, hold short of runways and ask ground. If you have clearance cross here is a typical clearance you might receive from Daytona Ground.
9, 15 Holding short at Rome, one ready to taxi. 9, 15 eight be ground we, seven left intersection, november four tax member cross WE. 106. You will need to write down the taxi instructions, read them back to ground control and then brief the taxi route with other crew members to avoid any confusion and confirm any hold short instructions while taxing. Always have your airport diagram out for reference and follow along as you taxi taxing at unfamiliar airports without a diagram can be confusing and could result in a deviation from your ATC taxi clearance or worse yet a runway incursion. Taking the time to understand the markings and signs at an airport will make following your taxi instructions easier when in doubt, stop the aircraft and ask ATC for help.