Worst Airport to Taxi Around?

[AAflyer]

A couple have already said it, by far CDG.

Take Ohare and imagine it with poor to no taxi-way markings.

Take YYZ nad DFW having numerous ground frequencies, ramp frequencies, clearance frequencies that are also poorly put on the charts.

Last but not least, the language barrier, and add in to the fact that half the jets are french so you are never sure of what they are telling those aircraft to do.

AAflyer,

Then again, ORD,IAH,DFW,LAX for the first time I think we all felt a little lost and behind.

 

[SkyGuyEd]

LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA!!!!

The airport diagram looks like a big game of tic tack toe gone awry....

LGB's got the 5th most runway incursions of any airport in the nation, second to:
1 LAX
2 St. Louis
3 Orange County
4 North Las Vegas (???)

http://www.rannoch.com/PDF/DOT_IG_Rwy_Inc_6-01.pdf

 

[skeezer]

YYZ is horrible for the reasons stated before.

YUL is just as bad becuase some of the taxiways are incorrectly marked. If you dont have your taxi diagram out you are hosed.

Oh, and what the hell is with the small runway numbers in Canada? You can't read the dang things till you are practially over them!

Skeezer

 

[TheAmazingRando]

Willow run: easiest place to get an incursion. Hold short lines on top of hold lines, the place is a nightmare, especially with students. AArrrggghh, the horror.

 

[SquirrelDog]

It is all about what you are used to and where you are from. Cont. guys/gals think IAH and EWR are a piece of cake. While Eagle and American think LAX, ORD, and DFW are simple. I myself don't have that big of problem with most new or busy aerodromes as long as the controllers recongnize that everyone is not used to THIER AIRPORT!

Its that, the controllers that make the taxi harder than it should be. At least in most cases the guys at DFW talk at a resonable rate. Sh!t, Yankies think we all talk and listen at mach 2! I talk slower thus, I listen slower. Not to mention the accent barrier with different parts of the country.

Sometimes I wish Pilots could issue a time out or penalty to the controllers. Shoot, they are government, we pay them right.

As for the last post, I could taxi YIP in my sleep. Choose again.

 

[Typhoon1244]

Take YYZ nad DFW having numerous ground frequencies...

Huh? "Nad?"

 

[Typhoon1244]

Flew my first trip to ORD today...and you know what? It wasn't as bad as the horror stories I'd heard.

On the other hand, I spent about half-an-hour poring over the airport diagram before we got there, and made sure I always had a pen in hand (as did my F/O) whenever Ground was talking.

I also learned very quickly...don't ever read-back a taxi clearance in that place. Just say "roger!"

Overall, though, I think taxiing at IAH (lots of letters) and DTW (bad markings) are worse.

 

[StrykerFL]

Anchorage, Alaska.

Click on the link below to find out why.

http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?ev_id=20020204X00182&key=1

 

[A Squared]

.......and made sure I always had a pen in hand (as well as my F/O) .....

You had your FO in hand ?????


"Anchorage, Alaska."

There's nothing particularly difficult about ANC. If it's your first time at an airport (captain) or even your third time (F/O) it might behoove you to have a taxi diagram out and be following it. It seems from the F/O's comments that he suspected that they hadn't turned 180 degrees to line up on 32 (90 from Romeo to kilo, then 90 from Kilo to 32) but he went ahead and took off when the captain told him to. I've heard it said that Asian flight crews have CRM problems as thier culture discourages questioning those in authority. Maybe this was a factor here?

At any rate, a heading check before power application would have prevented this....a lesson for us all.

 

[Typhoon1244]

You had your FO in hand?

Yeah, maybe I'll re-phrase that next time. In fact, allow me to go edit...

I always had a pen in hand (as did my F/O) whenever Ground was talking.

 

[A Squared]

and made sure I always had a pen in hand (as did my F/O) whenever Ground was talking.

WHew! MUCH better!

 

[metrodriver]

STL: descends in 1000' increments, 10kt speed reductions, ground has no clue what tower does, and there is always mail laying on the ramp. Didn't get your pay check last time? Some jet probably blew it into the next county.

 

[EagleRJ]

LGA

DFW isn't bad once you get the hang of it.

ATC: "Do the shuffle Yankee bridge point six five"

Airplane: "do what?"

No one has mentioned LaGarbage? That place is always gridlocked. Airplane A is waiting to push, but is blocked by airplane B, which is trying to get out of the alley, but can't due to airplane C blocking the taxiway, which can't move due to airplane D, which is waiting for airplane A's gate. Break out the crane!

 

[zonker]

Never been to CDG, but I've been to most of the others mentioned. BOS gets my vote...

 

[rettofly]

I'm not too fond of BOS. Lots of runways in a small space. You talk to ground then tower then tower (2) You got Cape Air guys taxing in formation at V1 and best thing is the fog off the ocean.

I still remember the moderate turbulence while taxiing on the ice-rutted pavement at wintertime BOS years ago. Every trip for a week after a snow event included apologies to the pax. Has it improved since 1994?

 

[Simon Says]

NEWARK

You would think an airport of that size can afford to buy blue taxi lights instead of the sticks. Anybody know what is up with that?

 

[TurboS7]

Any airport when the FO gets lost and the airplane is bouncing and the taxi chart is a blurr and the taxi markings are covered up with snow. Don't you just love getting old........

 

[BlueCanoe]

LGA is great. 4 taxiways.

BNA and MYNN. I need to activate the 4-wheel drive. Taxiways are so freakin' rough, no matter what speed, it's moderate chop.

And, BNA controllers still seem to think it's a hub airport.

 

[skylane58]

I going to vote for DEN. Its not a hard airport as far as the layout, however, if you land runway 7 and need to go the GA ramp or the cargo ramp, you have to taxi for seven days and talk to seven controllers.

The only thing that is hard about ANC is the seventeen 747's on final and you cant understand one of them. Then try to get across the runway for an intersection departure off 6L.

 

[Freightdog75]

ORD is horrible! One of the things that you boys sittin' up a little higher never really think about is that YOU DO sit up higher!! For example: Taxiway/Runway markings that are labled on the ground are really hard to see when you're flying a mighty 400 series Cessna.

MDW is pretty bad the first few times going into there(at night). Looks like someone played tic-tac-toe.

FD75

 

[captxxx]

Bad Taxi Airports

Bad Taxi Airports(CAN I GET A WORD INakaSHORTEN YOUR INSTRUCTIONS or SAY AGAIN) ORD, LGA, EWR(Depends on your gate), LAX (especially transiting north to south or viceverse),VNY(VanNuys,CA), and BOS(peak time)

 

[captxxx]

Bad Taxi Airports

ADD YYZ(especially w/DEICE)agree on DTW

 

[druglord]

LGA
when you-know-who is running the show...after 3 years or however long she's been there you'd think there'd be some sorta idea of working the system, but it can be 2 am on a Tuesday morning and she'll still get you head to head with traffic

 

[FSB99]

i'm a little surprised at how many people mentioned yyz (toronto). i never seemed to have a problem there, but then again, haven't been there in a while. and as said above, it is all you're used to.. first few times in iah, i just said 'roger' and looked at my captain, hoping to god he caught it all! ord is perceived to be scarier than it is in reality.. just keep moving, and don't hit anyone!

i'd have to say, my most hated airport to taxi around in is STL... and that's not because of the taxiway layout or lack of signage or lights, or anything like that.. it's just one runway incursion waiting to happen after the other... with the big humps in the runways, when you're going uphill, and peak the top, i am just hoping to god, everybody heard the 'hold short's.

 

[dondk]

Another for YYZ... what a cluster!

DTW.. do it a few times and it is easy, unless it is Saturday and they are using the freq's that are not published anywhere. Beware for when they use the 9-27's for something other than a taxiway...