Slooooooooow Taxi

[lownslow]

[blockquote]
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When we came by they had the slides deployed and were trying to figure out how to get out of the ditch....and, I imagine, how to explain it to the FAA!!!!!
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[/blockquote]

It could be worse - In 1998, the pilot on Air Force One had to explain it to the FAA, the President, and the world press when he ran off the taxiway at CMI and closed the airport for a day while they tried to extract the aircraft from the swampy muck.

http://erikburd.org/midwest/af1.jpg

 

[chipmunn]

There is no slow down.

Chip

P.S. The March 3 Airline News Update has been released at www.chipsplace.com under Rumor Control.

 

[delldude]

[blockquote]
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On 3/4/2003 1:43:38 PM chipmunn wrote:

There is no slow down.

Chip

P.S. The March 3 Airline News Update has been released at www.chipsplace.com under Rumor Control.
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[/blockquote]
no officially sanctioned but could be individually motivated.

 

[Mike W]

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On 3/3/2003 9:58:45 PM supercruiser wrote:

I can't figure out how he gave you the thumbs up, an acknowlegement, if he didn't look at you.
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[/blockquote]

If I'm standing off to the side of the aircraft so that the captain has to turn is head to see me. He probably saw me out of the corner of his eye.I guess where I come from when you are communicating with someone you look directly at them. Stupid me. BTW,most flight crews have been great this year as far as patience and understanding since most of this is new territory for us.

 

[diogenes]

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On 3/3/2003 8:17:33 PM a320av8r wrote:

Take note when the rampers start doing the pushbacks, professionalism IS noticed.
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[/blockquote]
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Who do you think has been pushing you back all these years in most locations you fly into?

I've done it for 20 years, so obviously, an A&P is not necessary.

On the other hand, I'm NOT qualified to fly or service the bird - perhaps if I stayed at a Holiday Inn Express!

 

[a320av8r]

I wasn't implying anything about the current folks doing the pushbacks. All I was doing was trying to give positive advice. I feel like its time we started inserting some positive thinking around this place.

 

[Rhino]

1. There is no taxi speed limit.

2. ONTHESTREET, your account of what transpired is incorrect. You should know better than post something like that without knowing the facts.

 

[supercruiser]

>>If I'm standing off to the side of the aircraft so that the captain has to turn his head to see me....BTW, most flight crews have been great this year as far as patience and understanding since most of this is new territory for us

 

[ONTHESTREET]

[blockquote]
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On 3/4/2003 8:35:22 PM Rhino wrote:

1. There is no taxi speed limit.

2. ONTHESTREET, your account of what transpired is incorrect. You should know better than post something like that without knowing the facts.
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[/blockquote]

Hmmm.... O.K., We taxi by, Captain looks at me, Says "Ask the tower what happened." I ask, tower reply "He missed the turn I guess."

Later in crew room. I ask a buddy who saw it, He says "He was cooking and appeared to try to make the turn, but the nose wheel skidded instead of turning"

It was raining at the time.

If you have the official word of something different, please enlighten us.

 

[ONTHESTREET]

Ok, just to keep everyone happy here is the official narritive from the incident report. (from public record)

"Pilot inadvertently taxied off taxiway and sunk into the grass by misidentifying the blue taxi lights at a confusing intersection. Since no damage or injuries occured, the case has been accepted for handeling under the Southwest Airlines ASAP program."

END NTSB NARRATIVE.

So I concede that officially taxi speed was not an issue in this incident.

However considering that the Captain had 10000 hours in type and 24500 total (From NTSB report) it is obvious that he had to be very familiar with BWI. Unless in the off chance that he was just hired as a street Captain with the airline!!!!! So, after speaking with a fellow pilot who saw it and considering the taxi speeds that are common among SW aircraft, I, in my own personal opinion......not to be confused with official opinion, would bet that the confusion over taxi lights had something to do with not having time to get a good look at them as they went whizzing by. In my opinion.

By the way, I never found that particular intersection to be in the slightest way confusing. as a Captain or F/O.

 

[KCFlyer]

By the way, I never found that particular intersection to be in the slightest way confusing. as a Captain or F/O.

Not even on your first time into the airport...in the rain??

 

[Rhino]

ONTHESTREET, experienced Catain. HOU-based and flows do not bring them to BWI too often.

Has a reputation as a very careful pilot.

Night, rainy, P1/U/4-22 intersection can be very confusing for aviators less skilled than you. Perhaps that is why they've since added wig-wags and included a warning on the ATIS.

Taxi speed was not an issue, your unprofessional assumption notwithstanding.

 

[ONTHESTREET]

Actually it was more of a professional opinion. As I was not there I will concede that taxi speed did not have a bearing on this incident.

My opinion that Southwest taxis too fast, stands though.(Not all, but many)

In my professional opinion as a fellow airline pilot, the high speed taxis that are commonly observed pose an unnessary risk to safety in the busy airport environment.

Does it really bother me?....No. But this started as a passenger and others implying that U was on some kind of slow down. Which it is not.

So I guess when you are in line in front of me you will leave me in the dust, and when you are behind me, you will just have to taxi a bit slower.

 

[ual06]

Quite a while back, the "old" Frontier pilots taxied pretty fast at the old Stapleton airport. It seemed that about anytime you were on Ground Control frequency you would hear "Frontier XXX slow to 250. Cleared to your gate."

 

[pitguy]

[blockquote]
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On 3/4/2003 1:43:38 PM chipmunn wrote:

There is no slow down.

Chip

P.S. The March 3 Airline News Update has been released at www.chipsplace.com under Rumor Control.
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[/blockquote]

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Chip,

Nice web site. I really enjoyed the link to the aviation quotes. Thanks. My favorite is below.

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The men flyers have given out the impression that aeroplaning is very perilous work, something that an ordinary mortal should not dream of attempting. But when I saw how easily the man flyers manipulated their machines I said I could fly.

— Harriet Quimby.