PilotEdge Forums

Hey PE Folk,

can I stop at the runup area and do my runup, while I'm cleared for taxi to the active, without asking?
Up to now I made it always (in real and simworld) at the hold short line of the active but on bigger fields it can be that some big metall is right behind me and produces some hurry.

Greetings
Uwe
Berlin, Germany

That would seem to be a bad place to do the runup, at the hold short line, even at an uncontrolled airport. Besides rushing through, what if you find a problem and there is traffic waiting behind you?

I'd suggest you just do that on the ramp, or in a waiting area along the taxiways. If the airport is uncontrolled, you move as you like, just announce to let everyone know. If the airport is controlled, then you must ask for clearance for any movement that involves the controlled maneuvering areas.

Point it into the wind, and position so the prop blast is harmless.

* Orest

At class D airports, I usually pick a place near the runway so that I can still turn into the wind and perform the runup and takeoff checklists. I avoid doing it at the ramp out of respect for other pilots or instructors that may be doing work there.

SNA has designated runup areas to avoid GA aircraft getting in the way of airliners or time critical flights like medical transport. Usually pilots call up requesting the runup area, taxi and complete runup, then request taxi clearance to the runway from the runup area. It's always good for ATC to know where you intend to go.

If you want to go to the run-up area, you should ask for taxi to the run-up area. That's the whole point of taxi instructions in the first place, because taxi instructions are based on the current traffic situation, which might not be a big problem in PE, but it can definitely be in the real world - so ATC want you to taxi right away, and also where you was cleared. If you spend 5 minutes at the run-up area, the traffic situation might have changed and there is now other traffic on your taxi route. I fly regularly out of a major class C airport, and there we always ask "to the run-up area" or "to the active". They will also cancel our taxi clearance if we hesitate starting our taxi.

Thanks guys for your answers. Yeah the hold short line don't seems to be the best place for the run up.

In real world, where I only can fly single prop, it isn't much a probleme (Not so much GA traffic within Germany ), I wrote my checklist in this way that only the engine run up is to perform there and all the other things should already done before off block, so it dosn't need much time.

On a ME which I fly from time to time in Simworld it need much more time until both engines and props checked. So the runup aera will be the better place.

thanks and greetings
Uwe

At my local municipal airport we never asked for taxi to the run up area, but we always went to a run up area that is designated at the airport before we hit the hold short line. We were cleared for the hold short from the get go. Must be different at other airports.

One consideration in the smaller aircraft is intersection departures. In PE it is typical to expect a pilot to taxi all the way to the end of the runway before taking off. But in the real world the Hobbs meter is running every second you taxi, and in a c172 there is no need to taxi thousands of feet they don't need. So if you pull up to the hold short line at an intersection that bigger planes are not goign to use, and you're not in the way then do your runup there. But busier commercial airports may not like it because big planes run over little planes in the dark and send them scattering with their thrust, so they may not want you loitering anywhere in the area.

The AIM states that a taxi instruction implies that you will taxi full length. If the pilot wants to request an intersection departure, they can do so. That's how it works in real life, and that's how it works on PE. If you want it...just ask.

Correct. I was pointing out that option.

Keith Smith wrote:The AIM states that a taxi instruction implies that you will taxi full length. If the pilot wants to request an intersection departure, they can do so. That's how it works in real life, and that's how it works on PE. If you want it...just ask.

Yep. I used to do that quite frequently on PE. Also, a "Hobbs" is a "Hobbs." If you are using FSE, even the sim "Hobbs" is running and moving you ever closer to the 100-Hr and the engine overhaul/replacement. Also, as the aircraft gets closer to the TBO (1500 Hrs. for props and 2000 Hrs. for turbines) its performance starts degrading pretty significantly.

Every once in a while I am stunned with the present state of the flight simulation hobby. So much realism is modeled. Quite a difference from MSFS 1.0 and the Sublogic and Bruce Artwick, "BAO" days. Ha! Even the old BAO "Tower" simulator is still one of the best out-the-cab experiences on the computer IMO. Oops! Got lost on Memory Lane."