Taxi Speed Options

[MrMe]

As the title suggests - I was wondering what the average taxi speed (under normal circumstances) is of say a 747 or 737?

[Ranger]

As the title suggests - I was wondering what the average taxi speed (under normal circumstances) is of say a 747 or 737?

In older airline kinda airplanes, without a ground speed readout, the general rule of thumb was to taxi as fast as a man (or woman) can walk. With the advent of the electric jets and their ability to read speed regardless of what they are doing, we now use that speed readout (shown on the nav display in the MD-11) as our guideline. For the MD-11 taxing straight ahead at a weight greater than 400,000# the speed limit is 20K. If the weight is less than 400K# we can go up to 25K. We're restriced to 10K during turns around 90 degrees regardless of weight. Most of the speed limits are due to tire considerations rather than safety issues.

[SF3aviatrix]

As the title suggests - I was wondering what the average taxi speed (under normal circumstances) is of say a 747 or 737?

All 'recommended" speeds aside, the taxi speed is directly related to these factors*:

1) It's the go home leg
2)You are going to a 'good' overnight
3)You need to get there to make your flight home
3)Pay is accrued by having the parking brake released (the longer the time between release & setting it again, the better usually)

*with safety in mind, of course.

[N5528P]

The official policy (=approved by the authority) at Austrian Airlines is 10kn under average conditions and up to 20 knots under very good conditions (good visibility, dry TW, nearly no wind, no turn,...).

Regards, Bernhard

[MrMe]

Thanks for all the info

[27driver]

I personally have never been taxied faster than 50 knots...but that's up to the boss...not me...with safety in mind and blah, blah.

Past that, SF3 has it nailed...yet again...

[Ghostrider]

If the plane starts to take-off, you are probably taxiing too fast.

[bernoulli]

If the plane starts to take-off, you are probably taxiing too fast.

True that. A good rule of thumb might be, "if your ASI is alive and approaching Vr, time to ease back a tad..."

You think I'm joking... I've seen it myself on occasion in the GA world.

[Ghostrider]

I laugh because there was a cessna pilot who taxied from our flight school building and we could have sworn his nose gear was bouncing. Someone said they heard the tower advise him that he wasn't cleared for take-off.

[bernoulli]

I laugh because there was a cessna pilot who taxied from our flight school building and we could have sworn his nose gear was bouncing. Someone said they heard the tower advise him that he wasn't cleared for take-off.

Exactly what I'm talking about. Saw a C182RG darn near take out a Seneca in the run-up area a couple of years ago.

Rule of thumb #2: "Taxiing out for takeoff should never necessitate the need for a functional Anti-skid braking system and/or the supplemental use of reverse thrust, spoilers, drag-chute or similar arresting methods."

Spike strips would come in handy when dealing with some of these geniuses.

[talldude]

Does taxi at a brisk walk ring a bell to anyone?
Allmost everyone of you gave out complex answers, its funny.
Take a simple question and complicate it, lol.

Anyway, I had my share of fast taxiing especially that one particular day when I was just minutes away from the 100 hr inspection due time, LOL.

[Pis-Ton]

I think the maximum taxi speed in the 737NG is 30knots Correct me If I'm wrong

[Ghostrider]

well, a brisk walk for a talldude may be a sprint for a shortdude lol

[SF3aviatrix]

Does taxi at a brisk walk ring a bell to anyone?
Allmost everyone of you gave out complex answers, its funny.
Take a simple question and complicate it, lol.

Who's making it complicated? Walking speed for airliners wouldn't cut it though. Too slow. I looked up "taxi" in my company manual and there is no specificed speed at all.

A few weeks ago at LAX there was a Cactus airbus hauling arse up Echo. I mean, this guy was moving! I bet he was going at least 40 m.p.h. We took notice as I had never seen any aircraft move so fast on a taxiway. We think it was some mx repositioning from the hangar. Twr called him, didn't get a response, so he called again- with a hold short instruction. Boy, you should have seen the smoke come off those tires! There still is a very marked set of tire skids near Echo & D8 where he slammed them on.....

[27driver]

Brisk walk...dude...you have got to be kidding. Try briskly walking from Cargo city to any departing runway at JFK, ORD, IAH, LAX, MCO...you name it. You´ll be there for days. Get the freraking thing to the runway and blast off...time and money are a wasting.

[talldude]

Brisk walk...dude...you have got to be kidding. Try briskly walking from Cargo city to any departing runway at JFK, ORD, IAH, LAX, MCO...you name it. You´ll be there for days. Get the freraking thing to the runway and blast off...time and money are a wasting.

No I am not kidding, well that is for GA flying at least, hahahha.
But it might as well work for big planes because in large planes the pilot sits higher off the ground so....the pilot will perceive the situation as slow, but in reality the plane is going quite fast. So...its all about perception, it may feel like a brisk walk from up there.

And to clarify that "taking days thing", well it will not take you over 24 hrs to walk that far.

[SF3aviatrix]

No I am not kidding, well that is for GA flying at least, hahahha. But it might as well work for big planes because in large planes .

GA is one thing but airline operation is a different animal. Due to the large amount of traffic movement at larger, busy airports going "walking speed" creates a traffic jam. I have flown with many captains who like to go as slow as possible to make the time on the clock as long as possible each leg. If there is other traffic waiting for you, or you slow down othe raircraft movements with a slow taxi, Ground calls up and asks you to pick up the pace!

[bernoulli]

GA is one thing but airline operation is a different animal. Due to the large amount of traffic movement at larger, busy airports going "walking speed" creates a traffic jam. I have flown with many captains who like to go as slow as possible to make the time on the clock as long as possible each leg. If there is other traffic waiting for you, or you slow down othe raircraft movements with a slow taxi, Ground calls up and asks you to pick up the pace!

Yeah, the whole "brisk walk" concept was shattered upon my first visit to DFW a few years ago. I immediately learned the "hurry up and wait" procedure there when taxiing with the big boys. Had a 727 in front of me and a 777 behind as I made my way into the really long line for departure after an impossibly long taxi to RWY 35L via Taxiway Golf, Zulu bridge and Lima. I remember the distinct feeling that I had better keep up with the local traffic or get run over.

Ever see a T7 squash or ingest a C210? I have, at least in my head that day....

I felt sort of like FOD.

[learguy]

The Southwest Airlines people are well known for rather high taxi speeds. I was holding, along with a couple of others, for a SWA 737 at KIND (Indianapolis International) a few years ago. As he went by on the runway 14/32 parallel taxiway at a pretty good clip, someone keyed the radio and called "V1... rotate!"

[mpeterson]

coming from the world of GA

on the ramp: GS of about 4-5 knots (err on the side of safety people)

once you're off the ramp and on the taxiiways, I'm sure I've done about 20 knots.