Flight School "Taxis" - a History and Etymology of "to Taxi"

AggieMike88

Touchdown! Greaser!
Joined
Jan 13, 2010
Messages
20,803
Location
Denton, TX
Display Name
The original "I don't know it all" of aviation.
Home Airfield
KDTO (Denton Enterprise)
Tonight's task was working on my lessons plans for my CFI class. Included in the group was "PreFlight Procedures: Taxiing".

So I wondered, where did that word get associated with the activity?

Some Googling found this article that was quite interesting. So I'm sharing it with the PoA Gang. Enjoy!!

Flight School "Taxis" - a History and Etymology of "to Taxi" (like an Airplane)

The%2BDes%2BMoines%2BREgister%2B-%2BSeptember%2B3%2B1911%2Bpage%2B15%2BIowa%2BState%2BFair%2Bstreet%2Bcar%2Bairplanes.jpg

drawing from Des Moines Register, Sept. 3, 1911
 
Usually, I'm skeptical of such folk etymologies, but this one doesn't look like it is too far off. The OED's earliest reference to taxi in the aircraft sense is several years past the references in this article.
 
Back
Top