Gate 41Why does taxiing take so long?
We've been driving around for ages. Why not just take off?
Aircraft follow taxi routes given by ground control, e.g. "taxi via Alpha, hold short of runway 27". At busy airports, aircraft queue in order for the runway, so taxi times can be a significant part of the trip.
During taxi the pilots complete checklists, set takeoff flaps and test the flight controls. You may notice the flaps move, or hear a short whine from the hydraulics. Taxi speeds are low, usually below about 20 to 30 knots.
A little deeper
Sometimes aircraft taxi on one engine to save fuel. Others wait for a departure slot set for the whole airspace system (an ATC slot).
Airports use painted lines and lights: yellow centrelines for taxiways and red stop bars at runways.
See it in Gate 41, in the outside view
Related questions
- Why does the wing seem to come apart?
- Why does a tug push the aircraft backward?
- Talking to air traffic control
People involved
- Ruth KowalskiAir traffic controller
- First Officer Mateo AlvarezFirst officer (co-pilot)