jb747
Enthusiast
- Joined
- Mar 9, 2010
- Posts
- 13,288
So what is the difference between the 3 you mention? The intent of the markings is for you to follow it with your nose gear.
All airfield markings are plotted by airfield engineers and surveyors to ensure the mains of aircraft make the radius of turns. If you operate an aircraft of the type that is approved for that pavement you will have no problem if you keep the nose gear on the guidance marking. Markings are not just painted on pavement without thought.
Meloz
Unfortunately, you're not correct. If I were to taxi my aircraft with the nose gear on the centreline, I would put a wheel on the grass at just about every corner. That is why the A380 has the tail camera that is fed to the cabin; that same feed goes to the coughpit, but with the wing gear position superimposed upon the image to help us judge the corners. There is also a second camera that looks forward and shows the nose gear. Additional markings are shown there to allow us to judge a five metre displacement of the nose gear to the outside of the turn.
Think about it. The geometry of every aircraft type is different. Whilst a small aircraft like a 737 or A320 may well be clear of the edge with nosegear on the centre, the geometry of the larger ones will be very different. And, in places like JFK, with most taxiway junctions not having fillets, even small aircraft sticking to the centreline get very close to the edge. So, one line simply does not fit all sizes.