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Run-up Pad Courtesy

DanH

Legacy Member
Mentor
I'd like to hear some opinions please. May not be a clear answer, but here goes...

Taxi out to the end, and find someone sitting in the runup area, clear of the actual taxiway curve to the hold short line. You do your own pre-launch routine, and when you finish, the other pilot is still head down, running a checklist, or copying a clearance, or something. They do not respond to a radio call of "Nxxx, are you ready to go?"...no wave, head nod, or radio response.

Do you declare and take the runway (pattern traffic permitting of course), or do you sit and wait?
 
I go. In many cases, those that have lost situational awareness don?t even know I was there and have gone!
 
He's not ready. I'd move up to hold short and advise tower I'm number one ready for departure. It's VERY common here in the Phoenix area with all the foreign training students.
 
No radio call -- I just watch closely and proceed to the runway. If I see movement of any kind before I pass I'll stop and give way.
 
Wish I had that option at my home airport. Seem to always stuck behind some guy with a 15 minute runup protocol or CFI doing his pre-flight briefing at the end of the runway. I would do this, but watch his head and eyes closely for movement. If you are not smart enough to monitor your radio while sitting on the hold short line, you are probably not smart enough to look before you hit the throttle.

Larry
 
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I should add that at Hartsfield, if a jet isn?t ready to go, they get called by the tower and directed to cross the runway and wait on the other side. If no response, they get called by the tower on guard. If still no response, intersection takeoffs begin and the jet that is gumming up departures is bypassed. Finally, a security vehicle is sent.
 
If I can make eye contact or see the pilot acting like they are about to move, I might call. Otherwise, I go.
 
no radio response = go ahead, especially if he's in a non movement area (sometimes the area you described meets this definition)
 
Need a horn

I have seen several RV's (that fly) with horns, and I have one going on mine soon..perfect place to use one! The little Harley horn weighs nothing and is very loud. A couple years ago, a guy was doing his run-up in front of his hangar (across from mine) with his head down and failed to realize he was moving..he eventually went past my hangar and off into the woods, totaling a Comanche 250. That is the reason I don't like going in front of people with their head down, but I move quick when I do. Nothing worse that someone with no situational awareness or ramp etiquette.
 
I was blocked once at my home field. I was taxing out to 36. Before I left the ramp there was a 172 sitting at the hold short lines. Took couple minutes for me to get to the area where I did my run up. After I finished the runup I waited another couple minutes and he's still sitting there. No room to go around him. I got on the radio and let him know I was ready to go and ask if he could pull straight across to the round out area just across the runway, (since removed). He responded with "Why don't you just hold on!" I would of been happy with a we'll be rolling in 15 or 30 seconds. He FINALLY pulled out and took off. Just rude and crude.

Another rude/crude incident I witnessed. I was in line at the gas pump with a couple aircraft ahead of me and this guy taxies up past the line and pulls in 90 degrees to us for fuel. And they fueled him up!! I was furious but just kept quite about it all.
 
The run-up pad transgression that eats me is when a pilot points the tail of the aircraft toward my open hangar and commences blowing trash into the door. Not much of a problem with a C150 but large singles and twins are a first-class irritation. I suspect the pilot never considers the consequences of the inconsiderate maneuver....
 
Last year I was #2 in line waiting to take off from GMU behind a Cirrus. After waiting for seven minutes (I have video), I called the tower and asked if I could back-taxi down Alpha and make an intersection takeoff at the first taxiway behind me. They approved it. As I started my takeoff roll, the Cirrus finally called "ready". Sheesh...

Here at Asheville, we are required to complete our runup before getting in line for takeoff.
 
The run-up pad transgression that eats me is when a pilot points the tail of the aircraft toward my open hangar and commences blowing trash into the door. Not much of a problem with a C150 but large singles and twins are a first-class irritation. I suspect the pilot never considers the consequences of the inconsiderate maneuver....

Even worse when it's a friend coming to visit and swings around and fills the hangar with crud. I had an acquaintance do this once and I was standing behind his wing with a push broom when he deplaned. Pointed to the grass and dirt in the hangar and said, get after it. He was absolutely clueless that he had done anything wrong..

As to Dan's question. Go..
 
The run-up pad transgression that eats me is when a pilot points the tail of the aircraft toward my open hangar and commences blowing trash into the door. Not much of a problem with a C150 but large singles and twins are a first-class irritation. I suspect the pilot never considers the consequences of the inconsiderate maneuver....
A bit of thread drift, but I saw a Corsair do his mag check on the taxiway at SnF with the tail pointed at the corner of the HBP (now GAP!) area. This was about ten years ago. Oh man, he didn't make any friends that day! Grass and dirt flying everywhere.
 
Be courteous and give them a minute, then go. A radio call would be more than I would give.

On the topic of horns, I've thought it would be nice to have too. However I wonder if such a loud, unusual, thing could possibly be more of a hazzard than useful. I've personally never heard a horn while operating an aircraft, not once, so something loud enough to make it through the engine and headphones could be quite startling to anyone not expecting that while punching in their route. Not to mention potentially damaging to the hearing of anyone in earshot.
 
A bit of thread drift, but I saw a Corsair do his mag check on the taxiway at SnF with the tail pointed at the corner of the HBP (now GAP!) area. This was about ten years ago. Oh man, he didn't make any friends that day! Grass and dirt flying everywhere.


A little more drift but just confirming that even professionals don't know what they are doing... At Sun-N-Fun this year on Sunday, the NOAA WP-3D Storm chaser was holding short of RWY 9 but instead of staying on the taxiway (pointing West) the pilot proceeded to point the nose North at the run up pad and wait for clearance. It took about 5 minutes (maybe longer) while the 4 Allison T56 Turboprops were blowing the campers at the RV campsites and obviously that was a lot of wind but then the pilot spooled it up to get moving and just about blew away this little 2 year old girl at the campsite. I'm sure the campers expected some blowing since they were right there but that was so excessive I really felt bad for that little girl, I'm sure she was scared.

Just goes to show that even professionals that fly for a living sometimes don't have situational awareness on the ground.
 
How About the Direction They?re Pointed When They Do Their Runup

On one of the runways at PTK, we have a fairly narrow pad, but can fit in 5-6 aircraft IF they pay attention. Love the guys who take the furthest position (that?s good) but then line up parallel to the runway and blow **** on everyone behind them. Have also experienced the next door neighbor (a club plane at the time) starting up with the tail facing the door. Yup, my door was open. Pilot in the right seat was a 15,000 hour flight instructor. Before they were able to taxi, I grabbed the right wingtip and shook it up and down a ?few? times. After shutdown, a calm discussion and some red faces brought a permanent end to the problem. Guys, it?s just common sense and common courtesy.
Terry, CFI
RV9A N323TP
 
I should add that at Hartsfield, if a jet isn?t ready to go, they get called by the tower and directed to cross the runway and wait on the other side. If no response, they get called by the tower on guard. If still no response, intersection takeoffs begin and the jet that is gumming up departures is bypassed. Finally, a security vehicle is sent.

Same thing happens if you mistakenly call that one taxiway "delta" instead of "dixie".
 
Press!!

One radio courtesy call.
No response, pass him/her up if you can.
Lots of students where I operate. I try to be patient but one of my biggest pet peeves is the complete and total lack of awareness of where your prop blast is going. I don?t blame the students but I definitely blame the instructors. After a radio call I usually receive an ?oh, sorry? response. Maybe it?s the whole ?it?s all about me? mentality of people now and if you don?t believe it, just ask, they?ll remind you that it?s all about them and only them. Waiting at the hold short for someone who?s clueless of the world around them is the same thing.
 
Or love the folks that can not turn their aircraft on a taxiway and will blow the gravel and loose stones all over your plane. Gee just 10 degrees makes a big difference. My tail wheel I swing it around almost a 45 to the taxiway just to be courteous
 
Confession and Carbon monoxide

I confess I?ve been guilty of parking my plane once with the prop blast pointed toward other planes and people. They didn?t say anything to me but I figured it out after I got out of my 172. Looking back on my student days I can?t remember an instructor ever cautioning me about my prop blast. But that was a long time ago.

Just as bad are the hangar neighbors who crank up in front of their hangar and warm up their oil, program their avionics, and who knows what else for maybe 10 minutes before taxiing to the runup area. I?ve actually left my hangar because of the fuel rich carbon monoxide laden exhaust gasses in my hangar. Gave me a headache.
 
Clenched jaw a patiently wait

I was on the run up pad when a plane passed me and another up and stopped at the hold short line and proceeded to do his run up and checklist. I asked if he was going and he responded with a verbal middle finger. Cub was not heavily armed so I waited for him to takeoff then proceeded.
I don't think there's much you can do about rudeness and I just hate joining in.
 
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