Know where to go

November 5, 2011 By Mike Collins

Sometimes taxiing is more complex than the flight

If you’re flying to an airport you’ve never visited before—or one that’s more complicated than you’re used to—have a plan for navigating after you’ve touched down. Advance planning is your key to a stress-free arrival. The Air Safety Institute offers online access to FAA taxi diagrams for many larger GA airports—print one out for your destination before you go. (If a taxi diagram is not available, check Google Earth or another source for aerial imagery.) Should you feel even the slightest confusion after landing at a tower-controlled airport, ask the ground controller for progressive taxi instructions; you’ll get turn-by-turn guidance to your destination on the airport. For more ground-operation tips, take the Air Safety Institute’s Runway Safety interactive online course.

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Mike Collins

Technical Editor

Mike Collins, AOPA technical editor and director of business development, died at age 59 on February 25, 2021. He was an integral part of the AOPA Media team for nearly 30 years, and held many key editorial roles at AOPA Pilot, Flight Training, and AOPA Online. He was a gifted writer, editor, photographer, audio storyteller, and videographer, and was an instrument-rated pilot and drone pilot.

Go to Mike Collins's Profile

Know where to go

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