Thu, Aug 10, 2006
Aero-Tips!
A good pilot is always learning -- how many times have you heard
this old standard throughout your flying career? There is no truer
statement in all of flying (well, with the possible exception of
"there are no old, bold pilots.")
Aero-News has called upon the expertise of Thomas P. Turner,
master CFI and all-around-good-guy, to bring our readers -- and us
-- daily tips to improve our skills as aviators. Some of them, you
may have heard before... but for each of us, there will also be
something we might never have considered before, or something that
didn't "stick" the way it should have the first time we memorized
it for the practical test.
Look for our daily Aero-Tips segments, coming each day to you
through the Aero-News Network.
Aero-Tips 08.10.06
The airplane ahead of you lands and reports "clear of the
runway". What does that mean?
Non-towered airport
- If the pilot is reporting properly, "clear of the runway" means
"all parts of the aircraft are on the non-runway side of any
holding position marking."
It's your job as pilot-in-command to clear the runway as soon
after landing as is safe; if taking off or landing it's your
responsibility to visually ensure that the runway is indeed
clear.
Tower-controlled airport
- A pilot or controller may consider an aircraft "clear of the
runway" when all parts of the aircraft are beyond the runway edge
and there is no ATC restriction to its continued movement beyond
the applicable holding position marking.
So... at a tower-controlled field "clear of the runway" does not
necessarily mean the airplane is actually past the hold-short line.
It does mean the path between the airplane and the hold-short line
is not blocked, and assumes the pilot of that airplane will
continue to taxi without stopping. This permits controllers to let
you use the runway for takeoff or landing sooner than actually
waiting for other traffic to get past the hold line. Note
to pilots: This also means you should not stop on the
taxiway before getting all parts of your airplane beyond the
hold-short line... it's quite possible other airplanes will be
cleared to take off or land very soon.
Aero-tip of the day: Use good judgment to
ensure the runway is clear, and after landing don't delay exiting
the runway and moving beyond the hold-short line, moving as soon as
is safe.
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