Runway exit

[togsdragracing]

One for the flight crew on here if I may.

An eyeballs-out deceleration on landing at Heathrow on Monday made me wonder: when you land, do you know in advance which exit you wish to take from a runway or do you just take the next exit when you have slowed enough?

I hope that doesn't sound like a dumb question and I am in no way casting aspersions on safety etc. I trust you guys with my life far more than I do most people into whose cars I get. But sometimes when all the anchors are out on the runway and I'm leaning forward out of my seat it does seem as if the exit is pre-determined and that's the one we're taking like it or not :)

[FL370 Officeboy]

I usually know which exit I will TRY to make. If it becomes clear that I wont make it then obviously I will chill out a bit on the brakes.

[SNS3Guppy]

How to exit the runway is part of the briefing conducted before each landing. We brief the arrival, approach and landing, as well as runway exit, and anticipated taxi route and parking location.

Safety is the primary consideration, not making a particular runway exit.

When cleared to land, one owns the runway until one is safely slow enough to exit, at whatever location that may be.

[togsdragracing]

Thank you guys. My admiration for you, which was already high, increases with each reading of Pprune and I am here every day :)

[DIBO]

and in the future (at least for Busdrivers) : Brake to Vacate (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brake_to_Vacate)

[Talkdownman]

From AD2-EGLL-1-13 (http://www.ead.eurocontrol.int/eadbasic/pamslight-2BA64360EE94F4BBA850386AB4A90C5B/7FE5QZZF3FXUS/EN/AIP/AD/EG_AD_2_EGLL_en_2010-07-29.pdf)

Arrivals – Minimum Runway Occupancy Time
Pilots are reminded that rapid exit from the landing runway enables ATC to apply minimum spacing on final approach that will achieve maximum runway utilisation and will minimise the occurrence of 'go-arounds'.