New rules...

Clearance to taxi...>>>

http://www.flyingmag.com/news/clearance-taxi-now-more-complex

No more; "Look left...look right....all clear....over we go!"... ...!

Paul..... ...!

This new rule is to help reduce the number of runway incursions.  There have been a number of close calls due to aircraft or vehicles entering runways they were not supposed to.  The FAA figures if they require an actual clearance to cross a runway, it will reduce the confusion a little, plus it will also make the controllers be that much more aware that an aircraft will be crossing a runwy.  Some of the incidents occured because an aircraft or vehicle was told to taxi to the ramp or runway, and the controller just didn't notice that route would require crossing an active runway.   I have to admit, when I am taxiing at a controlled field, I often ask for clarification before crossing a runway, even though it used to be implied that you were clear to cross.

ShaneG wrote on Jul 11^th, 2010 at 9:47am:


I've wondered about that too, just listening to ground control at bigger airports you will hear how busy they are.  Plus it will not be the same at every airport, as airports have the ability to get exemptions based upon distance between runways and other considerations.  I think it will take a while to iron out it all out.

olderndirt wrote on Jul 11^th, 2010 at 11:29am:

Yup... except when they screw up. 
I hope it will help, but an erroneous clearance to cross an active is no different than an erroneous unspoken clearance to cross an active. 

It may very well lead to "I didn't look 'cuz the controller said I could cross!" scenarios. Not much different than the previous "I didn't look 'cuz the controller didn't say I couldn't just cross!" 

The only thing that works reliably- at any field, tower or no- is for the pilots to look before crossing or taking a runway. They also have to listen to the radio chatter, to maintain a "big picture."

Controller input can be valuable at busy complex airports, when vis is poor, or there is a humped runway or obstacles blocking a full view, but in the end there's no substitute for thinking and looking, on the pilot's part.

expat wrote on Jul 12^th, 2010 at 3:11am:

No, it's the other way around, sort of...
Previously, if issued a taxi clearance that involved crossing any runway, you did not have to hold short of any runway unless specifically told to. Obviously, if it involved crossing an active runway, one might be asked to hold short, but not always... in the interest of keeping things moving, a controller might have let you just roll across, assuming there's no conflict (apparent to the controller).

Now everybody's going to have to stop and wait until cleared to cross.
That's not a bad thing in and of itself, but my point was that it probably won't help, because clearance or no, the pilot has to verify that it's safe to cross...  that's what has been at the heart of every incursion.
Giving controllers direct control of all runway crossings could lead to more of this lassitude on the part of pilots, which would make things worse. There's no way a new rule will somehow make controllers less likely to screw up, and in a way, this new rule gives them more opportunities to do so. Same thing goes for pilots, obviously.

Quote:



The Royal Air Force uses that system to let vehicles cross at the ends of the runway or where approaches and roads come close together. It works, so a valid question Crash.

Matt

Having worked ground control many times in zero zero conditions, before the advent of ground radar, let me just inject that, while short-stopping all aircraft enroute to the departure runway may sound like the safest answer, I suspect there is a real potential for chaos.  Ground control is the toughest position in the cab and this seems to insure it's gonna get a little tougher.

If I understand this correctly, it's not really a new rule. They're just adapting the one here in Canada. From my understanding, the ground clearance would sound something like "Taxi Alpha across 22 for 32" Where the runway you're expecting to take off from is 32, and the one you had to cross is 22. If that's what is now being enforced in the US, then it's not so bad. It has been in Canada for at least as long as I have been flying, which is coming up on 4 years now.