Our FARs state that "Overtaking. Each aircraft that is being overtaken has the right-of-way and each pilot of an overtaking aircraft shall alter course to the right to pass well clear."
That's right, that is the FAA position and applies to both ground and air, according to my FAA CPL instructor.
Here in the UK, you are supposed to overtake on the right in the air but on the left on the ground. This is weird, because (one would assume) the reason for overtaking on the right is to enable the pilot of the overtaking aircraft to retain a good view of the one being overtaken, and he can't do that (in a conventional LH/RH seat configuration aircraft) if overtaking on the left.
As to why anybody would overtake on the ground at all, that's another story. I have seen it when taxiing at certain uncontrolled airfields, when I was taxiing carefully to avoid prop damage, and somebody else (presumably, driving a rented plane while being charged for brakes-off to brakes-on as is the UK norm) was in a rush and went past me. However, I have had people go past me on both sides, in that situation
