After landing question

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new182

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new182
After landing at a controlled field and exiting the runway what is proper to do if the tower has not yet given you taxi instructions or directed you to change to ground control?
I had this happen for the first time yesterday. Previously I had either had the tower ask my parking destination or immediately tell me to switch to ground.
Should I have stopped the plane after clearing the runway, remained on tower, or switched to ground control?
 
I'd say call ground. Tower only controls the runway so once clear of that over to ground unless instructed differently
 
get past the hold short and call ground and tell them where you want to go
 
thanks for the replies.
Should the airplane be stopped after the hold short marker until ground replies?
 
Clear the runway at the first practical turnoff, get all the way across the hold short line, and stop. Do not change freq, do not enter the parallel taxiway, do not collect $200. If you don't get further instructions shortly, advise Tower you're clear and where. See the AIM for the details.
 
new182 said:
thanks for the replies.
Should the airplane be stopped after the hold short marker until ground replies?
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Definitely stop after clearing the runway (aircraft completely on the taxiway side of the hold short lines) if you haven't been given any contrary instructions by the time you get there. Technically you are supposed to wait for the tower to instruct you before changing to ground. Unfortunately even though tower is supposed to do that, they often don't. But unless you're facing another active runway (e.g. you're between parallel runways) it's generally acceptable for you to make the switch on your own. I normally stop and clean up the airplane (cowl flaps open, flaps up, strobes off, radar off, trim re-set, etc) and if I haven't heard from tower by then I'll call ground. If I'm facing an active runway I usually ask tower if I should call ground.
 
Ron Levy said:
Clear the runway at the first practical turnoff, get all the way across the hold short line, and stop. Do not change freq, do not enter the parallel taxiway, do not collect $200. If you don't get further instructions shortly, advise Tower you're clear and where. See the AIM for the details.
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What Ron says. If tower doesn't tell you to change - contact them. "Podunk Tower, Bugsmasher One Two Bravo is clear of Runway 35 on Kilo" and they'll get the point and tell you to switch.

You can just switch on your own, it'll be fine most of the time, but technically you're supposed to wait for them to tell you.
 
Ron Levy said:
Clear the runway at the first practical turnoff, get all the way across the hold short line, and stop. Do not change freq, do not enter the parallel taxiway, do not collect $200. If you don't get further instructions shortly, advise Tower you're clear and where. See the AIM for the details.
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I've also seen my CFI use the PTT and ask / tell them we are switching to ground. Though sometimes the tower controller is doing both duties and they don't need you to.
 
I almost always get the "taxi to parking, monitor ground point six" as soon as I pull off the rwy, or sooner. Once in a while, tower is busy with something else and forgets - it's pretty simple to say "Cessna 123 clear of 18 at Hotel" (or whatever), as a reminder. But yeah, don't taxi without permission - we had a collision at our airport about a year ago because of that.
 
Ron Levy said:
Clear the runway at the first practical turnoff, get all the way across the hold short line, and stop. Do not change freq, do not enter the parallel taxiway, do not collect $200. If you don't get further instructions shortly, advise Tower you're clear and where. See the AIM for the details.
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Exactly..! doing otherwise will eventually bite you in the rear end. Just tell them "N28348 clear (of whatever) at kilo". That will prompt them to switch if they forgot.
 
And note, unless cleared to do so, DO NOT exit one runway onto another (intersecting) runway.
 
Ron Levy said:
Clear the runway at the first practical turnoff, get all the way across the hold short line, and stop. Do not change freq, do not enter the parallel taxiway, do not collect $200. If you don't get further instructions shortly, advise Tower you're clear and where. See the AIM for the details.
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Yes that's about what the AIM says, but the reality is many if not most towers either expect you to contact ground on your own or at least are OK when you do so. I can't tell you how many times I've called tower after I've been sitting past the hold short line for a few minutes without a word from them asking if I should contact ground (sometimes I just call with my N# and location) only to be told in a curt manner that I should just call them on my own. I asked the manager of the tower where I'm based about this and she said to just go ahead and call ground in such cases with the exception of sitting between the parallel runways. Maybe things are different out east.

Also, at my airport and some others I've been to recently it's not possible to completely clear the hold short line without getting on the parallel taxiway. One of the effects of bringing our airport up to current standards during the last reconstruction effort the hold short lines were moved away from the runway and are now about 15 feet from the edge of the adjacent taxiway. When that's the case you are still supposed to completely clear the hold short lines with your tail even if it means blocking the taxiway. Of course this probably isn't a good idea if there's a big jet motoring down that taxiway towards your stub.
 
Thanks for all of the great detailed replies!
Someday I will land at the busy airports and sound and look like I know what I am doing.
 
Ron Levy said:
Clear the runway at the first practical turnoff, get all the way across the hold short line, and stop. Do not change freq, do not enter the parallel taxiway, do not collect $200. If you don't get further instructions shortly, advise Tower you're clear and where. See the AIM for the details.
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:yeahthat:

Sometimes tower forgets, or the controller "thinks" he told you to contact ground when he hasn't.
 
Depending on the airport & time of day, the same controller may be working both ground and tower. That's sometimes the case at HEF - you'll either get "monitor ground .7" or "taxi to ramp this frequency".
 
new182 said:
Thanks for all of the great detailed replies!
Someday I will land at the busy airports and sound and look like I know what I am doing.
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And don't sweat it... As long as you always attempt to communicate and keep at it until you're sure you have in fact communicated, you're good.

It's a lot better for the you and ATC to be on the same page even if you sounded stupid getting there, than it is for you to very professionally-sounding come to two different concepts.
 
kimberlyanne546 said:
I've also seen my CFI use the PTT and ask / tell them we are switching to ground. Though sometimes the tower controller is doing both duties and they don't need you to.
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This happens frequently at KDTO. So far in my flights, the controller is on the ball and right as wheels are on the ground and I'm beginning to slow, I'm being told: "Exit first taxiway. Taxi to Parking. Remain this Frequency."

Our countrollers are really good at remembering who's based here and where you need to go for parking. So we get our Taxi clearance right away.

And since it was "Remain this Frequency", we do say on the tower freq versus "self switching" to ground.


But to answer the OP's original question, Cap'n Ron's answer covers it best.
 
TMetzinger said:
:yeahthat:

Sometimes tower forgets, or the controller "thinks" he told you to contact ground when he hasn't.
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Have had that happen before. A quick, "Tower, Warrior 1234 is clear of the runway at A4" once got, "So that's where you went! Contact Ground XXX.x"

Our controllers are good sports and have a good sense of humor.
 
sometimes when i'm rolling out on the runway and its quiet i'll just call tower and say something like "towplane 863 is headed for the aerobatic ramp" and that sort of prompts them into telling me to contact ground or stay with them etc.
 
jesse said:
You can just switch on your own, it'll be fine most of the time,...
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I've been barked at by Ground when I did that and told to go back to Tower. Ain't gonna do that again.

Of course, at Boondock Muni, you may be talking to the same person, and they probably won't either notice or care. Heck, I requested and received my takeoff clearance on Ground at SBY Tuesday. Didn't catch it until I flip-flopped the #1 to PXT, called passing 400, and the SBY controller said I should try it on PXT instead of Tower -- even he missed that it came over Ground.:D But switch to Ground off the runway at JFK, ORD, ATL or the like, and you are asking for a whipping.
 
new182 said:
After landing at a controlled field and exiting the runway what is proper to do if the tower has not yet given you taxi instructions or directed you to change to ground control?
I had this happen for the first time yesterday. Previously I had either had the tower ask my parking destination or immediately tell me to switch to ground.
Should I have stopped the plane after clearing the runway, remained on tower, or switched to ground control?
Click to expand...


I usually ask tower if they want me to switch to the ground or stay with them.
 
Ron Levy said:
But switch to Ground off the runway at JFK, ORD, ATL or the like, and you are asking for a whipping.
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I've never heard that happen at O'Hare. Not saying it doesn't.

Sometimes the tower controller gets so busy it is hard to get a word in edgewise. And there you sit, tying up a runway exit. If the tower is busy doing its thing, it is best, in a lot of cases, to get out of their hair and just go to ground. It tends to help keep the traffic moving. Of course, YMMV.
 
Greg Bockelman said:
Sometimes the tower controller gets so busy it is hard to get a word in edgewise. And there you sit, tying up a runway exit. If the tower is busy doing its thing, it is best, in a lot of cases, to get out of their hair and just go to ground. It tends to help keep the traffic moving. Of course, YMMV.
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Yup, and it's entirely possible that you'd get thanked at one airport for doing what would get you whipped at another. But the AIM is always a good defense -- see AIM 4-3-20:
c. Immediately change to ground control frequency when advised by the tower and obtain a taxi clearance.
NOTE-
1. The tower will issue instructions required to resolve any potential conflictions with other ground traffic prior to advising the pilot to contact ground control. [emphasis added]
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gismo said:
Also, at my airport and some others I've been to recently it's not possible to completely clear the hold short line without getting on the parallel taxiway. One of the effects of bringing our airport up to current standards during the last reconstruction effort the hold short lines were moved away from the runway and are now about 15 feet from the edge of the adjacent taxiway. When that's the case you are still supposed to completely clear the hold short lines with your tail even if it means blocking the taxiway. Of course this probably isn't a good idea if there's a big jet motoring down that taxiway towards your stub.
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I was at FCM about two weeks ago and ran into that. I came in on the ILS 10R, broke out around 700 feet, landed and exited on the first taxiway to the left. Then I realized that I really couldn't clear the runway without taxing onto the other runway. It was rather confusing, so I just asked tower as I was approaching it what they were expecting me to do.
 
Greg Bockelman said:
I've never heard that happen at O'Hare. Not saying it doesn't.

Sometimes the tower controller gets so busy it is hard to get a word in edgewise. And there you sit, tying up a runway exit. If the tower is busy doing its thing, it is best, in a lot of cases, to get out of their hair and just go to ground. It tends to help keep the traffic moving. Of course, YMMV.
Click to expand...

That's been my experience as well.
 
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