longest commercial taxi time.......

[brent p h]

Just curious as I am currently "spotting" aircraft right now at DFW. After landing what is the longest taxi time some of you guys have encountered (landing - terminal) and which runway and airport?

[OldTownPilot]

JetBlue JFK, Valentines day weekend, 8+ hours

[scflyin]

We taxied around PHL for three hours once. And just as we got to the runway they switched them so then we got to go back the other way. And then they canceled the trip so we got to spend 45 minutes taxiing back to the gate. Good times.

[brent p h]

Originally Posted by scflyin

We taxied around PHL for three hours once. And just as we got to the runway they switched them so then we got to go back the other way. And then they canceled the trip so we got to spend 45 minutes taxiing back to the gate. Good times.

Wow that's a long taxi that's for sure!

[cime_sp]

Last night in ATL I did 3.5 hours and never even got off the RAMP before we finally gave up. According to the ground control the line for de-icing was about 50-70 planes deep and they were completing 3-4 per HOUR!!!!! That doesn't count the folks still stuck on the ramps and in the gates....just those on the taxiways

[Velocipede]

ORD on a bad WX day. About 3.5 hours.

[brent p h]

Originally Posted by Velocipede

ORD on a bad WX day. About 3.5 hours.

3.5 hour? I would imagine a lot of that time has too do with runway crossing restrictions. Is it the norm on such an instance too taxi on one engine when this occurs? I have also reviews a 737 checklist that says the packs are turned of after landing. On a cold day would this happen also? (And what do you guys do on a 3.5 hour taxi)? Wow!

[woodreau]

JFK - PVD normal day 2.5 hours taxi time for a 40 minute flight. Got sandwiched in line between two 747s who I don't think noticed me at all in my B1900. I think I needed one of those flags attached to my tail like on one those kiddie grocery carts in Ikea.

Actually I had to make a decision, I went below min fuel for takeoff 30 minutes into the taxi because we just started flying out of JFK and had no clue it would take so long, so I couldn't takeoff and had to go back to the gate for fuel.

Since I work for Mesa, we only get paid for historical average block time, and not block or better, so I elected to taxi for 2 more hours all the way to the runway (knowing I couldn't takeoff), and then asked to go back to the gate. Return to gate pays block. So got paid for 3.1 hours for the taxi. Got fuel. Got back in line, this time single engine taxied out to the runway. Took 2 hours to get to the runway this time, get to PVD 45 minutes later, got paid 40 minutes for the second 3-hour attempt to get to PVD.

[matt152]

This may be a silly question, but I honestly don't know the answer: If you are taxiing around for 2.5 hours and return to the gate, can you log that time? Or is it you can just log time that the plane is actually moving for the purpose of flight?

I had an instructor once who said that taxi time is loggable. I told him he was padding his logbook with taxi time. He said I was understating my total time. Who's right?

[Nick]

Originally Posted by woodreau

Since I work for Mesa, we only get paid for historical average block time, and not block or better, so I elected to taxi for 2 more hours all the way to the runway (knowing I couldn't takeoff), and then asked to go back to the gate. Return to gate pays block.

I'm sure the passengers loved that.

[OldTownPilot]

Originally Posted by matt152

This may be a silly question, but I honestly don't know the answer: If you are taxiing around for 2.5 hours and return to the gate, can you log that time? Or is it you can just log time that the plane is actually moving for the purpose of flight?

I had an instructor once who said that taxi time is loggable. I told him he was padding his logbook with taxi time. He said I was understating my total time. Who's right?

Were you moving for the purpose of flight? Thats the answer.





















Yes you can.

[cencal83406]

Our pax were pissed because we had to wait in line for 1 hour + for de-ice.

[HighFlyingIL]

Originally Posted by cencal83406

Our pax were pissed because we had to wait in line for 1 hour + for de-ice.

yea well.. they dont realizd that 1/16" of ice decreases overall lift by 40% according to some stuff I was reading in Flying magazine last winter...

[Minuteman]

Originally Posted by woodreau

JFK - PVD normal day 2.5 hours taxi time for a 40 minute flight.

Jesus! Some of those airlines oughta codeshare with Amtrak or some gypsy cabs or something.

[Nick]

Originally Posted by HighFlyingIL

yea well.. they dont realizd that 1/16" of ice decreases overall lift by 40% according to some stuff I was reading in Flying magazine last winter...

The passengers with working brains won't be pissed about the de-ice part.

They will be pissed about sitting in line for more than an hour to get it!

[BajtheJino]

Originally Posted by matt152

I had an instructor once who said that taxi time is loggable. I told him he was padding his logbook with taxi time. He said I was understating my total time. Who's right?

Where did you get the idea taxi time is no time? Heres an example to think about-If you're doing full stop taxi backs do you note the hobbs on landing, then note the hobbs on take-off over and over and over and then note the hobbs when you get back to the field after the last one and subtract all that from the total hobbs?
Thats a lot of work to cheat yourself. When I was renting airplanes I logged the time the flight school charged me for! WHY CHEAT YOURSELF!

Longest taxi for me in the 208-1.5 at BWI.

[matt152]

Originally Posted by BajtheJino

Where did you get the idea taxi time is no time? Heres an example to think about-If you're doing full stop taxi backs do you note the hobbs on landing, then note the hobbs on take-off over and over and over and then note the hobbs when you get back to the field after the last one and subtract all that from the total hobbs?
Thats a lot of work to cheat yourself. When I was renting airplanes I logged the time the flight school charged me for! WHY CHEAT YOURSELF!

Well, if the aircraft is taxiing, it is not moving for the purpose of flight. I would not start logging "flight time" until we were on the takeoff roll.

And I was in my own aircraft, so I wasn't directly paying by the hour.

What if you are repositioning the aircraft from one place on the field to another? Is that flight time?

[USMCmech]

Originally Posted by matt152

Well, if the aircraft is taxiing, it is not moving for the purpose of flight. I would not start logging "flight time" until we were on the takeoff roll.

And I was in my own aircraft, so I wasn't directly paying by the hour.

What if you are repositioning the aircraft from one place on the field to another? Is that flight time?

The definition of "flight time" is from the time the aircraft leaves the ground untill the time it touches down again.

However

If you are taxiing to or from the runway, the aircraft "is moving under it's own power" "for the purpose of flight" and therefor is logable under the FARs.

Taxing to and from the fuel pumps, or from one parking spot to another, would not be flight time, because you do not intend to fly.

If your CFI told you anything different, then he is wrong.

[BajtheJino]

Originally Posted by matt152

Well, if the aircraft is taxiing, it is not moving for the purpose of flight.

Think about that.

[matt152]

Originally Posted by USMCmech

The definition of "flight time" is from the time the aircraft leaves the ground untill the time it touches down again.

However

If you are taxiing to or from the runway, the aircraft "is moving under it's own power" "for the purpose of flight" and therefor is logable under the FARs.

Taxing to and from the fuel pumps, or from one parking spot to another, would not be flight time, because you do not intend to fly.

What if you intend to fly, taxi to the runway, do your runup, discover a problem and then taxi back to the ramp? Is that loggable under the FARs? As flight time?

[BajtheJino]

No. That would be ridiculous to log .1 or .2 in your logbook. But if you move the airplane for the purpose of flight it is perfectly fine, legal, acceptable to log it.
When I was a young pup I would used to do mtx repo's to an airport .2 away but with taxi time the flight would always be .5 due to runup, taxi, hold short, taxi, hold short, taxi and then on to shut down. You best believe I logged .5.
QUESTION #2
Dear Mr. Machado,
I am a student pilot. My CFI, a much younger man, has been filling in my log using the Hobbs meter time for the time of flight. Isn't the flight time that I log in my book the time between where I enter the runway for takeoff and the time I exited the runway after landing? What is the proper time for logging flight?
Thank you,
Sally
ANSWER #2
Greetings Sally:
Flight time is technically the time the aircraft begins to move under its own power for the purposes of flight. It ends when the aircraft comes to rest after landing. Hobbs meter time is considered a perfectly acceptable means of recording flight time, even though there may be a few minutes after an engine starts before you start moving. If this prevents you from sleeping well at night, then let the airplane move just a few inches immediately after engine start. My recommendation is to log all your Hobbs meter time since this is what nearly everyone else on the planet does.

[matt152]

Originally Posted by BajtheJino

My recommendation is to log all your Hobbs meter time since this is what nearly everyone else on the planet does.

Everyone else on the planet is wrong.

OK, I'll defer to Mr. Machado.

And I'll sit down now.

[USMCmech]

Originally Posted by BajtheJino

My recommendation is to log all your Hobbs meter time since this is what nearly everyone else on the planet does.

In the C208 I don't log by the hobbs, since the hobbs only records time when the torque over 1200 lbs (or something like that). Since I rarely need 1300 lbs to taxi, I use my out/in times that I record on the aircraft log.

When it takes you 30 minutes to taxi from one corner of DFW to the other, that taxi time can really add up. Also, taxing around DFW can be one of the most challanging parts of my day, so why shouldn't I record that experiance.

[matt152]

Originally Posted by USMCmech

Also, taxing around DFW can be one of the most challanging parts of my day, so why shouldn't I record that experiance.

It would make a great entry in a diary. If your held on the ground for 2.5 hours, do you record that experience?

[cime_sp]

Originally Posted by BajtheJino

No. That would be ridiculous to log .1 or .2 in your logbook. But if you move the airplane for the purpose of flight it is perfectly fine, legal, acceptable to log it.
When I was a young pup I would used to do mtx repo's to an airport .2 away but with taxi time the flight would always be .5 due to runup, taxi, hold short, taxi, hold short, taxi and then on to shut down. You best believe I logged .5.
QUESTION #2
Dear Mr. Machado,
I am a student pilot. My CFI, a much younger man, has been filling in my log using the Hobbs meter time for the time of flight. Isn't the flight time that I log in my book the time between where I enter the runway for takeoff and the time I exited the runway after landing? What is the proper time for logging flight?
Thank you,
Sally
ANSWER #2
Greetings Sally:
Flight time is technically the time the aircraft begins to move under its own power for the purposes of flight. It ends when the aircraft comes to rest after landing. Hobbs meter time is considered a perfectly acceptable means of recording flight time, even though there may be a few minutes after an engine starts before you start moving. If this prevents you from sleeping well at night, then let the airplane move just a few inches immediately after engine start. My recommendation is to log all your Hobbs meter time since this is what nearly everyone else on the planet does.

This is exactly the way the airlines and FAA treat it as well. If ou taxi for 3 hrs waiting for de-ice it counts as FLIGHT TIME!!!! You intended to go flying and that's all that matters. This time also counts towards your daily/weekly/monthly limits. Now, if you have to taxi the airplane to the maintenance hanger, you are not intending to go flying. It doeas not count as time....although you still get paid for it!