Overtaking
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Assuming that Newcastlebloke got it right in saying earlier that "The original post is correct; overtake on the right in the air, and left on the ground", surely the reasons are not difficult to see.
In the air, a potential head-on conflict is to be resolved by altering course to the right. Like ships, aircraft are require to pass port to port. Whether an aeroplane with pilot in the left seat or heli with pilot on the right. So if you overtook on the left, and the overtaking aircraft were in potential conflict with a head-on one coming the other way, and/or following a line feature which it is required to keep on the left, overtaking on the left would put the overtaker at risk of hitting the conflicting aircraft or going the wrong side of a line feature. With no lateral restriction on where to go, it is possible and safer to go right.
On the ground, if an overtaking manoeuvre is possible, it can only be where there is a fairly wide manoeuvring area. Then it is like a multilane highway in the USA or continental Europe. Normally a single aircraft would have to keep to the right, giving oncoming traffic the widest possible clearance. If you overtake (if safe to do so) you have to move to the left - just like getting into an overtaking lane on a USA/continental highway - because the one being overtaken is already as far to the right as it can reasonably be. This puts you closer to traffic coming the other way, so you have to be sure it is safe to do so - that the "road" is wide enough.
What is hard to understand about it?
Chris N.
In the air, a potential head-on conflict is to be resolved by altering course to the right. Like ships, aircraft are require to pass port to port. Whether an aeroplane with pilot in the left seat or heli with pilot on the right. So if you overtook on the left, and the overtaking aircraft were in potential conflict with a head-on one coming the other way, and/or following a line feature which it is required to keep on the left, overtaking on the left would put the overtaker at risk of hitting the conflicting aircraft or going the wrong side of a line feature. With no lateral restriction on where to go, it is possible and safer to go right.
On the ground, if an overtaking manoeuvre is possible, it can only be where there is a fairly wide manoeuvring area. Then it is like a multilane highway in the USA or continental Europe. Normally a single aircraft would have to keep to the right, giving oncoming traffic the widest possible clearance. If you overtake (if safe to do so) you have to move to the left - just like getting into an overtaking lane on a USA/continental highway - because the one being overtaken is already as far to the right as it can reasonably be. This puts you closer to traffic coming the other way, so you have to be sure it is safe to do so - that the "road" is wide enough.
What is hard to understand about it?
Chris N.
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i understand, just couldn't think of an instance of a moving aircraft overtaking another moving aircraft on the ground on the same taxiway, unless taxiing is taking place on an unused runway, but most uncontrolled fields only have one runway... and i can't imagine any ground controllers being too happy if one aircraft passed another...
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Uncontrolled fields may have just one runway but if the taxiway is just a wide grass area (which it often is, e.g. Old Sarum) then two planes can easily pass each other.
Whether it is wise is another matter. The person overtaking better be quick with his power checks (he probably will be, since he is in a rush).
Whether it is wise is another matter. The person overtaking better be quick with his power checks (he probably will be, since he is in a rush).
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On the ground, aircraft are expected to keep to the right when taxying unless ground signals or markings indicate otherwise. The when taxying along a wide grass strip, one should taxy on the right. If one complies with this, then the only option available for an overtaking aircraft on the ground is to pass on the left
Do you have an ICAO reference for this, DFC?
I have a suspicion this is UK CAA only.
Do you have an ICAO reference for this, DFC?
I have a suspicion this is UK CAA only.
You are correct - it is not ICAO. The ICAO rules of the air simply require the aircraft overtaking on the ground to remain well clear and gives right of way to the aircraft being overtaken.
Regards,
DFC
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Vehicles overtaking aircraft
A few posts ago, someone asked about vehicles overtaking aircraft.
Our Manoeuvring Area drivers have 'Freeranging' priviledges in normal visibility.
We teach them
a) Plan your route to keep out of the way of the aircraft
b) if a part of your route means that you are going to pass an aircraft head-on, then keep to the right, i.e. pass port-to-port
c) if you are going to overtake, do so on the commander's side, i.e. drive down the port side of the aircraft.
However, since all our aircraft are (supposed to!) follow the yellow centreline on taxiways and are likely to make turns at intersections, sometimes it makes tactical sense to overtake on the right side. It would be silly to overtake on the left, then have the vehicle/aircrat paths cross shortly afterward.
However, we mostly keep to rule a) above.
If we need to do b) we teach people to pull over so that the crew can clearly see that we've spotted them and are giving way. We normally get a cheery wave but some crews either don't see us or think we're too lowly to acknowledge.
TOO
Our Manoeuvring Area drivers have 'Freeranging' priviledges in normal visibility.
We teach them
a) Plan your route to keep out of the way of the aircraft
b) if a part of your route means that you are going to pass an aircraft head-on, then keep to the right, i.e. pass port-to-port
c) if you are going to overtake, do so on the commander's side, i.e. drive down the port side of the aircraft.
However, since all our aircraft are (supposed to!) follow the yellow centreline on taxiways and are likely to make turns at intersections, sometimes it makes tactical sense to overtake on the right side. It would be silly to overtake on the left, then have the vehicle/aircrat paths cross shortly afterward.
However, we mostly keep to rule a) above.
If we need to do b) we teach people to pull over so that the crew can clearly see that we've spotted them and are giving way. We normally get a cheery wave but some crews either don't see us or think we're too lowly to acknowledge.
TOO
Join Date: May 2001
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Which reminds me of the time when the CAA's consultation on charges was raising my heckles: Has anyone actually ever paid the £97 for an "Exemption in relation to overtaking (Rule 17(4) of the Rules of the Air)". Few people seem to be able to remember which side the rule states, let alone require an exemption from it. Yet another bureaucratic irrelevance, which kinda sums up the CAA really....
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Maybe it's a throwback from times prior to runways, when open fields were used- rather like some gliding sites today. I'm thinking that as you are supposed to land on the right of another aircraft (hence vacating left off runways unless advised) it would be wise to overtake on the left on the ground to avoid a collision with landing aircraft. Again I'm guessing, but maybe it is more difficult to remove this rule as there are still some places that still use a field rather than a runway.
KK
KK
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A few posts ago, someone asked about vehicles overtaking aircraft.
Our Manoeuvring Area drivers have 'Freeranging' priviledges in normal visibility.
We teach them
a) Plan your route to keep out of the way of the aircraft
b) if a part of your route means that you are going to pass an aircraft head-on, then keep to the right, i.e. pass port-to-port
c) if you are going to overtake, do so on the commander's side, i.e. drive down the port side of the aircraft.
However, since all our aircraft are (supposed to!) follow the yellow centreline on taxiways and are likely to make turns at intersections, sometimes it makes tactical sense to overtake on the right side. It would be silly to overtake on the left, then have the vehicle/aircrat paths cross shortly afterward.
However, we mostly keep to rule a) above.
If we need to do b) we teach people to pull over so that the crew can clearly see that we've spotted them and are giving way. We normally get a cheery wave but some crews either don't see us or think we're too lowly to acknowledge.
TOO
Our Manoeuvring Area drivers have 'Freeranging' priviledges in normal visibility.
We teach them
a) Plan your route to keep out of the way of the aircraft
b) if a part of your route means that you are going to pass an aircraft head-on, then keep to the right, i.e. pass port-to-port
c) if you are going to overtake, do so on the commander's side, i.e. drive down the port side of the aircraft.
However, since all our aircraft are (supposed to!) follow the yellow centreline on taxiways and are likely to make turns at intersections, sometimes it makes tactical sense to overtake on the right side. It would be silly to overtake on the left, then have the vehicle/aircrat paths cross shortly afterward.
However, we mostly keep to rule a) above.
If we need to do b) we teach people to pull over so that the crew can clearly see that we've spotted them and are giving way. We normally get a cheery wave but some crews either don't see us or think we're too lowly to acknowledge.
TOO
which are as said both to the right,
overtaking on the ground to the left,
if you have yet to to your air law exam, watch out, don't confuse yourself !
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