In an effort to save some fuel, if I opt to start an engine
That's not what he asked. All the airlines I have flown for forbid this on the Boeings I have flown. Shutting down on taxi in is not the same and Mr Boeing has no objections to it and I fail to see what sort of engine fire shutting fuel OFF to an engine can cause.
On the 737 we have a recommended cooling period of 3 minutes, but 1 minute is acceptable, so unless you have a significantly long taxi in it is rare that it is worthwhile doing.
Other things to consider are;
APU serviceability
Aircraft systems availability with an engine shutdown
Direction of turns during taxi
Tightness of any turn
Taxiway slope (especially uphill)
Likelihood of delays (ie stopping during taxi)
Wx conditions and surface contamination
Ramp/ taxiway congestion
Familiarity with the airfield and taxi routes
I am sure there are probably a few more I have forgotten to mention.
Not a bad idea to check brakes after shutting one..........
Is another example of the many reasons not to shut them down whilst taxiing
No, planning ahead and using an authorised SOP to shutdown any engine during taxiing is what is required, knowing which systems will be affected and not deviating from the documented procedure (which will have been written to account for any systems' loss)
Finally, the important issue here is, to ensure that an un-compromising level of Safety, comes before Economics
True, which is why a written procedure will be in your Part B (under JAR Ops) which has been authorised by the manufacturer and implemented by the airline. If, as Commander you consider all the consequences of single engine taxi in and you make your own risk assessment that you are NOT compromising safety, you are being professional and saving your company fuel and engine wear. It's the same as being professional and taking the
right amount of fuel for the sector and not just loading an extra tonne for the wife and kids; sure it gives you a warm feeling, but it sure ain't being professional, as is not considering an authorised procedure to save the company money and making a blanket statement such as
starting or stopping engines away from the parking stand or airport gate is something that I personally consider to be a bad idea
Everything we do in our SOPs is based on a risk assessment, and an evaluation of what is acceptable risk. Do you have data to support your theory that shutting engines down carries an unacceptable increase in engine fire risk?
PP