Ground Control

My flight instructor also lives in an airpark development, about 40 nm away, an easy hop. When we fly together, I generally taxi directly to her home. Past palm and pine trees, mailboxes, fences and...well, you get the idea. (Her trash gets collected on Fridays.) So Im no stranger to ground operations in close quarters. It could be said that I dont really know what to do with all the expansive, unobstructed pavement available for taxiing at real airports. Thats not to say Ill never taxi into something; thats always a risk.

Joseph E. (Jeb) Burnside

Thursday, July 26, 2018 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

Effective ground operations require using minimal power for slow, controlled taxi speeds, avoiding excessive braking, and applying full nose-up pitch during deceleration to protect the nosewheel.
Pilots must actively position primary flight controls (ailerons into the wind, full-forward pitch in tailwinds) to apply downforce and maintain directional control in windy conditions, including during takeoff and landing rolls.
Maintaining situational awareness is critical for ground safety, including observing safe taxi speeds, preventing runway incursions through vigilance, and keeping a safe distance from other aircraft to avoid hazards like jet blast.

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I basically live at an airport, and taxi to and from the airpark’s runway over what are residential streets the rest of the time. My normal taxi route includes a stand of bamboo, decades-old oak trees, mailboxes, a power pole and assorted fences. Tuesday is trash-collection day, and it can be a deal if your airplane has a low wing. Like mine.

My flight instructor also lives in an airpark development, about 40 nm away, an easy hop. When we fly together, I generally taxi directly to her home. Past palm and pine trees, mailboxes, fences and…well, you get the idea. (Her trash gets collected on Fridays.) So I’m no stranger to ground operations in close quarters. It could be said that I don’t really know what to do with all the expansive, unobstructed pavement available for taxiing at “real” airports. That’s not to say I’ll never taxi into something; that’s always a risk.