After getting clearance to taxi to a run up area in my Cessna, and as i'm proceeding the #1 com decides to go TU but i didn't realize it immediately. As i'm approaching the run up area off the main ramp i notice a helicopter hover taxiing on the parallel, almost abeam my runup area. Hearing nothing on the now (still unknown to me) inop radio i proceed into run up position quite close (25-30 feet) to the hovering helicopter. Well the tower had been trying to contact me the whole time and seemed quite upset (naturally) when i finally reached them on the hand held.
My question is this: Are there legal separation distances between active aircraft on taxiways and ramps? I'm not trying to defend myself or my crappy narco equipment, just curious as i'd never come across it before.
Obviously my equipment let me down this day and i hated the situation as much as the ground controller did. I did have that small voice in my head telling me that the radio was too quiet for a nice and sunny, busy Sunday and should have acted sooner on that.
My question is this: Are there legal separation distances between active aircraft on taxiways and ramps? I'm not trying to defend myself or my crappy narco equipment, just curious as i'd never come across it before.
Obviously my equipment let me down this day and i hated the situation as much as the ground controller did. I did have that small voice in my head telling me that the radio was too quiet for a nice and sunny, busy Sunday and should have acted sooner on that.