Originally Posted by
Check Airman
Never flown a widebody, so I'm not sure what the size of the plane has to do with it. If you're concerned about wingspan or weight restrictions, you can always mark them in red on your chart. Is there something I'm failing to consider?
That would come under “brief most likely routes beforehand”? I agree that you may not get what you expect, but at that point you look at it again. There are so many traps for the unwary which are not obvious when you’re on the move and heads-out. Somewhere I went recently had Spot 2 on Taxiway 1 and vice-versa, and you had to look at two charts simultaneously to work that one out! As an occasional visitor to ORD, I follow your advice, but you could say the same about the runway until you’re on short finals...
Having operated both, widebody ground operations add workload compared with smaller aircraft as there are more things to think about and get right. Clearances and tolerances are much tighter, so mistakes are punished more often. Taking the “racing line” is a rare thing in an aircraft 74m long x 65m wide (777-300) and the A380 is even bigger.
Like most things in life, it’s useful to have a toolbox of options and good practices, but it doesn’t imply that you have to use all of them all the time. Pick what’s appropriate to the situation.