Hardest Airport to Taxi At?

[B-J-J Fighter]

I have had my fare share of hard airports to taxi at considering I'm single pilot. What are the hardest airports to taxi at? Night taxi?

 

[Ralgha]

Woodland, WA (W27) isn't a cakewalk. The "taxiway" is some serious offroading, the runway isn't perfect either.

 

[Metro752]

O'Hare in a 152 at 2am when you yourself are half asleep.

 

[Pirate at Forty]

DCA when we could go there.

 

[njcapt]

ORD. Even if you're going the wrong direction, DO NOT STOP. They'll get you straightened out. Just don't cross a runway.

 

[FN FAL]

O'Hare in a 152 at 2am when you yourself are half asleep.

I hear what you're saying...any airport at night or daytime, can be hard to taxi at if you are fatigued. Sometimes the markings can be confusing.

I'm not saying that taxiway markings are confusing; that I got down pat. It's just that some intersections are weird and this could be at any airport. I can point to one such weird intersection at MKE. Approach the intersection from one direction, it's clear as a bell. Approach it from another direction, you be getting a call from the ground controller, if you "take things the wrong way".

Best to have that airport diagram out at new airports or the ones you go to daily; complacency will get you every time.

 

[GravityHater]

The ones with too many lights and the ones with few lights are equally difficult. I hate areas where there is huge areas of concrete and few markings or lights... give me a narrow or obvious taxiway with a bold yellow line anyday.

Tips are
Way before landing, know which turnoff you are likely to make, and the gate/terminal/fbo/drug running operation (j/k) you are supposed to end up at. Get an idea of the layout and taxiway names before you enter the terminal area - by studying up the diagram.

 

[350DRIVER]

I have had my fare share of hard airports to taxi at considering I'm single pilot. What are the hardest airports to taxi at? Night taxi?

ORD on a busy friday afternoon. Never forget going into Signature there single pilot and hearing someone miss a stop and next thing you know the mood turned from "ok" to the controller being out right p!ssed off and out to eat someone for lunch. ORD was one airport that you didn't want to screw-up at during the busy push times.

 

[Kaman]

BWI is a pain at night, but luckily I flew in there late doing the freight thing and controllers always left a trail of bread crumbs out for us to the Signature ramp.

 

[EagleRJ]

ORD is tricky not only because of the complex layout, but because of the pace of operations during rush hour. Ground will call you with something like, "Runway Three Two Left from Tango Ten taxi right Alpha Alpha Six Juliet Juliet One Hold Short Tango Ten", and then start talking to another airplane as you're still writing the stuff down. If you're not a local, it's best to study the airport diagram and get a feel for the flow before you even call Ramp or Metering.
And as others have said, even if you don't know where you're going, just DON'T STOP unless you are approaching a runway or another airplane!

 

[CarjCapt]

LGA is hands down the worst.

Not only confusing, the taxi ways are real narrow. Plus it is real hard to get a word in edgewise to ground. Don't screw up or confront the controller because it maybe several days before you leave.

I loved the challenge.

 

[bafanguy]

LGA is hands down the worst.

Not only confusing, the taxi ways are real narrow. Plus it is real hard to get a word in edgewise to ground. Don't screw up or confront the controller because it maybe several days before you leave.

I loved the challenge.

carj,

ORD is confusing, to be sure, but doesn't have the same potential for runway incursion that LGA has ( or DCA, for that matter ).

On one of my first trips as a new DC9 capt ( back in the day ), I was in ORD and taxied out behind a Mexicana 727. Well, this poor guy was so freakin' lost that...EVEN I KNEW HE WAS LOST...and I was lost myself. Just laughin' with him...not at him.

Things got a whole lot better once airport signage got standardized and they didn't use all those little "pet" names for things at ORD.

 

[Kingairrick]

Grand Cayman (MWCR)

 

[AlabamaMan!!]

Cayman? You're kidding right?

 

[PA31Ho]

Yea, try LGA in a twin cessna.... I think we are the only piston on the field every time we go.