Runup at Unfamiliar Airport

Somedudeintn

Somedudeintn

Cleared for Takeoff
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May 12, 2014
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Knoxville, Tn
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somedudeintn
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TN08/TN98/DKX
Hey everyone, tomorrow I'm planning on flying into and out of KTYS. From looking at the taxi diagram it looks like there is a runup area at the G8 taxiway, but I don't see anything if approaching runway 23L via A9. I was thinking about asking where to perform the runup on my initial call , but thought I'd ask on here to see thoughts.


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I'd just pull over to the side of taxiway A and do my run up. If you feel like you're going to be holding people up you could always take an intersection departure and just do your run up there. (A8 or maybe even A7 depending on what you fly.)
 
Unfamiliar and towered, ask the ground controller. It's courtesy, and sometimes there are special instructions you need to know about (like KAPA)

Unfamiliar and not towered, ask a local. But if it's a single runway single taxiway, I usually get to hold short area, turn into the wind, and do it, then spin back around to look up final approach, make my radio call, and blast off.
 
Ask the ground controller,if not familiar. Some airports have designated run up areas.
 
When I flew up to Santa Monica a week ago they gave me very specific instructions when I asked to taxi to the runway. The runup area there is a bit unusual. I'd just ask ground where they prefer you do it. I'm sure they would rather have you ask, than have you do it someplace they dont like.
 
Learn something new every day.

I didn't know run ups for pistons were any big deal, but then I've never flown out of an airport where it was a problem. My run up takes like 20 seconds, start to finish, so all I would have ever thought to do was point the tail off the taxiway and do it.

What's the idea behind the dedicated areas?
 
For a place like Santa Monica or probably some other LA area airports, it's probable noise abatement, or what's directly across the fence behind in certain areas.
 
Noise abatement is a big concern at a lot of places, also I cant really think of a place anywhere on the airport I fly out of where you wouldn't be blasting directly at either parked cars, open hangars, or multi-million dollar jets.
 
Really? I've always done the runup on the taxiway, right at the runway. Just turn a bit to direct prop wash away from anyone that's behind you and do it.

Lately I've been doing it in front of my hangar. I'm on the end of a row, no one's around, and then I'm ready to go when I get to the runway.

For a single engine piston, I can't see a runup taking very long at all. The shorter the better, according to some articles I read.
 
New pilots tend to want to do the complete school checklist runup which may take a couple minutes.
Actually, the actual "runup" may be 20 seconds where you have the rpm up for mag and carb heat checks. The rest is a complete "before take-off" check which can be performed in your start-up parking spot before taxi.
I encourage pilots to do the "before take-off" check before taxi in an unfamiliar area, then the actual engine runup somewhere along the taxiway with the tail pointed out at an angle, or at the hold short line before calling.
Yes, this breaks up the checklist routine, but sometimes you have to adjust to the actual situation, and think your way through.
 
Somedudeintn said:
Hey everyone, tomorrow I'm planning on flying into and out of KTYS. From looking at the taxi diagram it looks like there is a runup area at the G8 taxiway, but I don't see anything if approaching runway 23L via A9. I was thinking about asking where to perform the runup on my initial call , but thought I'd ask on here to see thoughts.


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For the most part, non-jet traffic ends up using A8 for 23L. Only the heavy-iron goes around A9

Depending on where you're coming from, there's a pretty open ramp area right by R8 that works well for runups.
 
So what's the problem with doing the runup on the roll while taxiing? I've done it many times thru the years that way to keep things moving.

RT
 
At towered fields, I have always completed my 20 sec runup at the hold short line as I am switching over to tower. As far as noise, wait another minute and 100' away and I will be at 2700 instead of 1600 rpm. Never heard a complaint yet.
 
I just point my tail at the closest cirrus or over priced LSA and giver' hell.
 
I try not to do my run up at the hold short line unless I know for sure there isn't going to be a plane behind me. Like others have said, ask the tower where they want you to do it.
 
You can do it at the hold short line, just point the tail at the grass.
 
RogerT said:
So what's the problem with doing the runup on the roll while taxiing? I've done it many times thru the years that way to keep things moving.

RT
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I know you and I are gonna catch a lot of **** for doing this, but I do it too. On a long taxiway with nothing behind, I see no reason not too. If I decide to stop, I just spin it at the hold short line and angle the blast toward the approach in. Someones behind me, don't care, they can wait 20 seconds.
 
I'm just plain not experienced enough to do a runup while taxing. I don't need the distraction. When I'm taxing, I'm taxing. About the only exception is the instrument checks I'm learning as part of my IR, but that's just a momentary heads down to see if the turn coordinator did something as I take a turn, the AI stayed upright, etc.

I like the comment about doing them at the hold short line (or close to it). I'm about to make a whole lot of noise at essentially the same spot, so why not...
 
RogerT said:
So what's the problem with doing the runup on the roll while taxiing? I've done it many times thru the years that way to keep things moving.

RT
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Because for a lot of pilots, particularly new pilots or infrequent fliers, it's probably safer to find a spot, stop, and focus on one task at a time. Too easy to miss something if you're also trying to taxi around an unfamiliar airport.

Doesn't mean your wings will fall off, but the odds of taking off with flaps down, or lights off, or a fouled plug, is a bit higher.
 
Mistake Not... said:
I like the comment about doing them at the hold short line (or close to it). I'm about to make a whole lot of noise at essentially the same spot, so why not...
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At a truly deserted field this is probably fine, especially if you're quick about it. If you like to do it by reading each item off the checklist you might end up blocking someone else who's ready. If there's departing IFR traffic behind you who suddenly gets a 2 minute departure window you may end up costing him his departure slot.

If there's no alternative then do what you gotta do, no big deal. But I prefer not to ever come to the hold short line unless I'm about to take off. I'll do a runup from a spot I'm not blocking anyone and call for my IFR release from the same spot (if it's near the end of the runway and I can see that I am #1).
 
dukeblue219 said:
suddenly gets a 2 minute departure window you may end up costing him his departure slot.
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Sucks to be him.

Seriously, that sounds bad, but... tough. Run ups happen. Where'd he do his? To be most useful, a run up should ideally happen right before take off. What good does it do to do one, wait a while (and maybe foul a plug, say) and then just take off?

What about someone (or a couple of someone's) VFR on final? If he's trying to hit a 120 second window that just magically appeared, all sorts of things can be a problem for him.
 
Mistake Not... said:
Sucks to be him.

Seriously, that sounds bad, but... tough. Run ups happen. Where'd he do his? To be most useful, a run up should ideally happen right before take off. What good does it do to do one, wait a while (and maybe foul a plug, say) and then just take off?
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If the runup area is so far from the runway that this is an issue, then of course, do it wherever is smartest. But I do think just waltzing right up to the hold short line as a default practice is not courteous to other pilots.

What about someone (or a couple of someone's) VFR on final? If he's trying to hit a 120 second window that just magically appeared, all sorts of things can be a problem for him.
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Of course. Doesn't mean I want to be the guy causing him grief for no reason when I could be 50 feet further back not blocking anyone. Hell, if I'm the VFR guy on final and IFR traffic asked to get out first to hit their window I'd happily go around about 99% of the time.
 
Mistake Not... said:
Sucks to be him.

Seriously, that sounds bad, but... tough. Run ups happen. Where'd he do his? To be most useful, a run up should ideally happen right before take off. What good does it do to do one, wait a while (and maybe foul a plug, say) and then just take off?

What about someone (or a couple of someone's) VFR on final? If he's trying to hit a 120 second window that just magically appeared, all sorts of things can be a problem for him.
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Seems like kind of a self important attitude to me. Jets dont do a run-up the same as a piston. Yesterday when I pulled up to the runup area at CRQ there was a cessna pulling up to the hold short lines, and another doing their run up. I pulled off to the side, aimed at the blast fence and did mine then pulled up to the hold short lines. By then there were 2 jets waiting in line, a cessna on the opposite side waiting and another behind me. 3 on final. ATC was talking non stop to everyone trying to get them in and out ASAP. For me to do my run up at the lines, even 30 seconds would have been a dick move, and I probably would have been scolded by the tower for messing up their flow.

If nobody is around the situation is different, but that's rare around here.
 
Mistake Not... said:
Really? I've always done the runup on the taxiway, right at the runway. Just turn a bit to direct prop wash away from anyone that's behind you and do it.

Lately I've been doing it in front of my hangar. I'm on the end of a row, no one's around, and then I'm ready to go when I get to the runway.

For a single engine piston, I can't see a runup taking very long at all. The shorter the better, according to some articles I read.
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Too sensible!
 
If you are at the hold short line, what do you do if runup shows a problem, ask to taxi down the runway so you can return to the hangar?
 
teejayevans said:
If you are at the hold short line, what do you do if runup shows a problem, ask to taxi down the runway so you can return to the hangar?
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I'd ask to taxi down to the next turnoff (where I wont be nose to nose with another aircraft).

In response to the other posts, we have no problem waiting for a small plane to do a run-up. We know that they have stuff to check just like we do. Yeah we have a flight engineer and a second pilot so we do the checklist while taxiing, but we get it. I would rather them delay me for 20 seconds than watch this happen to them.

http://www.indystar.com/story/news/...reported-dead-greenwood-plane-crash/12534775/

ATC is the last person I am concerned about. Yeah they may have had a groove going, but that is tough. They are there for us and many of the controllers I know tell me this all the time.
 
Is there anything written on the fars or aim that prohibits on doing a run up in front of the hold short line? I believe it's a courtesy move, but at the same time also unnecessarily or urgently moving the airplane on the ground.
 
Busflyer said:
. . . .If you feel like you're going to be holding people up you could always take an intersection departure . . . .
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Surprised no one has busted on you for this - some would say letting available runway go to waste is a bad habit. There was a Mooney out of Kansas City I believe that not long ago did that, had to abort and set it back down, ran out of runway and off the end into the river. Bad outcome. Most believe the wasted runway was a factor. Just sayin'.
 
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