Appendix one, Part two Taxi Procedures. It is important for you to learn
and understand how to safely follow taxi procedures. This section addresses specific ATC instructions
that may be issued while taxiing and procedures that you should follow. For more
information on detailed taxi procedures to be followed at towered airports, referred to Chapter
four of the Aeronautical Information Manual aim situational awareness SA. Situational awareness SA means
understanding what is going on around you. Also, understanding is more than just
information gathering. It requires gathering the right information, being able to analyze it,
and making decisions. Say should be used at all times when operating on
an airfield, for example, prior to break release for taxi, minimize cockpit
tasks, observe sterile flight deck procedures, and always practice a heads up,
eyes out mode. While taxiing, remainsially vigilant of hold short crossing clearances and
hotspots if applicable. When taxiing, be aware of your location as it relates
to the intended taxi route, other aircraft that are taxiing, and vehicles operating
on the airport see Figure one Dash eight. If in doubt stop, remain
clear of the runway and contact ATC. The following excerpt taken from the AfD
is an example of information available to you that helps mitigate the loss of SA.
Taxiing aircraft should use caution an early morning and late afternoon hours. Sun
glare may make visual recognition of signs and pavement marking its difficult. See Figure
one dash nine. Movement and non movement area boundary. At towered airports,
the airport's surface is divided into two parts, non movement area and movement area.
The non movement area is defined as ramps and aprons and is not controlled
by ATC, which means you may move or taxi the airplane without clearance or
communication with the control tower. The movement area is defined as all taxiways and
runways and is under the jurisdiction of the control tower, so a taxi clearance
is required prior to entering into the movement area. The boundary between the ramp
and the taxiways is called the non movement area boundary and is defined by two
yellow lines, one solid and one dashed c Figure one dash ten. The
solid line is located on the non movement area side, while the dashed yellow
line is located on the movement area side. Once you are ready to taxi,
ATC should be contacted for taxi instructions. After a taxi clearance is received,
movement across the non movement area boundary marking and onto the taxiway is authorized.
ATC instructions. Title fourteen of the Code of Federal Regulations fourteen CFR,
Part ninety one, Section ninety one one twenty three requires you to follow all
ATC clearances and instructions. Request clarification if you are unsure of the clearance or
instruction to be followed. If you are unfamiliar with the airport or insure of
a taxi route, ask ATC for a progressive taxi. Progressive taxi requires the
controller to provide step by step taxi instructions. The final decision to act on
ATC's instruction rests with you. If you cannot safely comply with any of ATC's
instructions, inform them immediately by using the word unable. There is nothing wrong
with telling a controller that you are unable to safely comply with the clearance.
Another way to mitigate the risk of runway incursions is to write down all taxi
instructions as soon as they are received from ATC see Figure one dash eleven.
It is also helpful to monitor ATC clearances and instructions that are issued to other
aircraft. You should be especially vigilant if another aircraft has a similar sounding call
sign so there is no mistake about who ATC is contacting or to whom they
are giving instructions and clearances. Read back your complete ATC clearance with your aircraft
call sign. This gives ATC the opportunity to clarify any misunderstandings and ensure that
instructions were given to the correct aircraft. If at any time there is uncertainty
about any ATC instructions or clearances, ask ATC to say again or ask for
progressive taxi instructions ATC instructions hold short. The most important sign in marking on
the airport is the hold sign and hold marking. These are located on a
stub taxiway leading directly to a runway. They depict the holding position or the
location where the aircraft is to stop so as not to enter the runway environment.
See figure one dash twelve for example. Figure one dash thirteen shows the
holding position sign and marking for runway thirteen and runway thirty one. When ATC
issues a hold short clearance, you are expected to taxi up to, but
not cross any part of the runway holding marking. At a tower airport,
runway hold marking should never be crossed without explicit ATC instructions. Do not enter
a runway at a towered airport unless instructions are given from ATC to cross,
take off from, or line up and wait on that specific runway. ATC
is required to obtain a read back from the pilot of all runway hold short
instructions. Therefore, you must read back the entire clearance and hold short instruction
to include runway identifier and your call sign. Figure one Dash fourteen shows an
example of a controller's taxi and hold short instruction and the reply from the pilot.
ATC instructions explicit runway crossing. As of June thirtieth, twenty ten,
ATC is required to issue explicit instructions to cross or hold short of each runway.
Instructions to cross a runway are normally issued one at a time, and
an aircraft must have crossed the previous runway before another runway crossing is issued.
Options may apply for closely spaced runways that have less than one thousand feet between
center lines. This applies to all runways to include active, inactive, or
closed. Figure one DAH fifteen shows communication between ATC and a pilot who is
requesting a taxi clearance. Extracaution should be used when directed by ATC to taxionto
or across a runway, especially at night and during reduced visibility conditions. Always
comply with hold short or crossing instructions when approaching an entrance to a runway.
Scan the full length of the runway and the final approaches before entering or crossing
any runway, even if ATC has issued a clearance. ATC instructions line up
and weight lua W ATC now uses the lineup and weight LUAW instruction when a
takeoff clearance cannot be issued immediately due to traffic or other reasons. The words
line up and weight have replaced position and hold in directing you to taxi onto
a runway and a weight takeoff clearance. An ATC instruction to line up and
wait is not a clearance for takeoff. It is only a clearance to enter
the runway and hold in position for takeoff. Under luaw phraseology, the controller
states the aircraft call sign depart your runway and line up and wait. Be
aware that traffic holding in position will continue to be used to advise other aircraft
that traffic has been authorized to line up and wait on an active runway.
Pay close attention when instructed to line up and wait, especially at night or
during periods of low visibility, before entering the runway, remember to scan the
full length of the runway and its approach end for other aircraft. There have
been collisions and incidents involving aircraft instructed to line up and wait while ATC waits
for the necessary conditions to issue it a takeoff clearance. An OI caused a
seven thirty seven to land on a runway occupied by a twin engine turboprop.
The turboprop was holding in position awaiting takeoff clearance. Upon landing, the seven
thirty seven collided with the twin engine turboprop. When ATC instructs you to line
up and wait, they should advise you of any delay in receiving your takeoff
clearance. Possible reasons for ATC takeoff clearance delays may include other aircraft landing and
or departing wake, turbulence, or traffic crossing an intersecting runway. If landing
traffic is a factor, ATC is required to inform you of the closest traffic
requesting a full stop, touch and go, stop and go option or unrestricted
low approach on the same runway, advised the landing traffic that traffic is holding
in position on the same runway. If advised of a reason for the delay,
or the reason is clearly visible, expect an imminent takeoff clearance once the
reason is no longer an issue. If a takeoff clearance is not received within
ninety seconds after receiving the lineup and weight instruction, contact ATC immediately. When
ATC issues intersection line up in weight instructions and takeoff clearances, the taxiway designator
is included. Note at night or in low visibility, consider lining up slightly
left or right of center line when holding for takeoff so that your aircraft is
visible and can be differentiated from runway lights. ATC instructions runway shortened, You
should review no TAMS in your preflight planning to determine any airport changes that will
affect your departure or arrival. When the available runway length has been temporarily or
permanently shortened due to construction. The ADIS includes the words warning and shortened in
the text of the message for the duration of the construction. When the runway
is temporarily shortened, ATC will include the word shortened in their clearance instructions.
Furthermore, the use of the term full length will not be used by ATC
during this period of the construction. Some examples of ATC instructions are Runway thirty
six shortened line up and wait, Runway thirty six shortened cleared for takeoff,
Runway thirty six shortened cleared to land. When an intersection departure is requested on
a temporarily or permanently shortened runway during the construction, the remaining length of runway
is included in the clearance. For example, Runway thirty six at Echo intersection
departure fifty six hundred feet available. If following the construction, the runway is
permanently shortened, ATC will include the word shortened until the AfD is updated to
include the permanent changes to the runway length pre landing, landing and after landing.
While en route and after receiving the destination airport adis slash landing information,
review the airport diagram and brief yourself as to your exit taxiway. Determine the
following. Are there any runway hold markings in close proximity to the exit taxiway.
Do not cross any hold markings or exit onto any runways without ATC clearance.
After landing, use the utmost caution where the exit taxiways intersect another runway,
and do not exit onto another runway without ATC authorization. Do not accept
last minute turnoff instructions from the control tower unless you clearly understand the instructions and
are at a speed that ensures you can safely comply. Finally, after landing
and upon exiting the runway, ensure your aircraft has completely crossed over the runway
hold markings. Once all parts of the aircraft have crossed the runway, holding
position markings you must hold unless further instructions have been issued by ATC. Do
not initiate non essential communications or actions until the aircraft has stopped and the brakes
set. Aircraft lights. The use of aircraft exterior lights during all flight operations
make an aircraft operating on the airports surface more conspicuous and help convey location and
intent to U and ATC. Some examples of aircraft exterior light usage are listed
below and shown in Figure one. Dash sixteen engines running. Before starting engines
turn on the rotating beacon. Taxiing prior to commencing taxi turn on navigation slash
position strobe only if the use of them does not adversely affect other aircraft.
Taxi and logo lights if available crossing a runway, illuminate all external lights.
When crossing a runway, You should consider any possible adverse effects that illuminating the
forward facing lights may have on the vision of other pilots or ground personnel.
During runway crossings, line up and wait. When entering the departure runway without
takeoff clearance, turn on all exterior lights except landing lights to make your aircraft
more conspicuous departure runway. When entering the departure runway after takeoff clearance is received,
or when commencing takeoff roll turn on landing lights. Non towered airports.
Many GA airports, even those with operating ATC towers, may not have airport
sign engine markings that are required at airports certified by the FAA. In fact,
you may observe a wide range of airport signage and markings from one GA
airport to the next. There is no substitute for alertness while in the vicinity
of an airport. It is essential that pilots be alert and look for other
traffic and exchange traffic information when approaching or departing an airport without an operating control
tower. This is of particular importance since other aircraft may not have communication capability,
or in some cases, pilots may not communicate their presence or intentions when
operating into or out of such airports. To achieve the greatest degree of safety,
it is essential that all radio equipped aircraft transmit and receive on a common
frequency identified for the purpose of airport advisories. An airport may have a full
or part time tower or flight service station located on the airport, a full
or part time UNICOM station, or no aeronautical station at all. There are
three ways for pilots to communicate their intention and obtain aircraft and traffic information when
operating at an airport that does not have an operating tower. By communicating with
an FSS, a unicom operator, or by making a self announced broadcast.
Many airports are now providing completely automated weather radio check capability and airport advisory information
on an automated UNICOM system. These systems offer a variety of features, typically
selectable by microphone clicks on the unicom frequency. Availability of the automated unicom is
published in the AfD and approach charts. Note lineup and weight slash holding in
position is not recommended at non towered airport. End of Part two of Appendix one