Student Solo Taxiing

[studentaviator]

Hi There,

If a student has not passed an air law exam, and hasn't past the R/T Exam, is it legal for them to taxi an aircraft without the instructor IN THE UK.
I am aware that engineers often do this, but have they passed there air law & R/T Exams ??

Thanks.

[The500man]

Well you can fly solo prior to licence issue including taxiing at your away destinations far from the eyes of your instructor, so maybe that will go some way to answering your question.

Why would you need to taxi solo unlicenced otherwise? There may be some insurance issues but I doubt anyone will try and stop you. I've never been stopped and asked if I'm licenced or not!

[BackPacker]

Like 500 said. There is absolutely zero legal requirement (under both the UK ANO and EASA FCL) to do any ground exam before first solo. It's often a school requirement (and that makes good sense), but that doesn't make it a legal requirement.

So once the instructor feels you're capable of taxiing around on your own, he can sign you out to do so. In general there won't be any practical value to it, but I can imagine students picking up the aircraft from a far-away apron before a lesson, or bringing it back after a lesson, while the instructor goes on with the next lesson.

[Weirdfish]

I would often taxi to get fuel and return the club solo if I was there before my instructor. I was only able to do this once I'd done my first solo flight, but that may just have been a club rule as opposed to any real law.

[mad_jock]

Zero laws on it.

But.......

The instructor better have the paper work compete or insurance rears its head and also manslaughter if the worst happens.

Personally unless they have a QA sign off through the engineering system the student will have a valid medical which I have seen and a copy is in the student records and ground emergencys have been documented as complete in the student records. Solo and airlaw I don't really give two hoots about.

[alexbrett]

The CAC has in its flying orders that a student can't start the aircraft without the instructor until after first solo, and for first solo as most places seem to they require Air Law to have been passed (and obviously a medical).

An interesting question is should a solo student who is just taxying (e.g. to go and get fuel) use the 'Student' prefix or not - I guess arguably it doesn't really matter, but still...

[mad_jock]

Student prefix is a good thing and should be used as much and as long as the pilot likes.

[studentaviator]

Thank-You.

Thanks all for your help and knowledge. Google seems to bring up multiple answer and I wasn't sure which one to go with!

Thanks Again & Happy Landings

[Halfbaked_Boy]

Back when I was 13/14, I was allowed to taxi aircraft about the airfield solo for a multitude of purposes having completed 2-3 hours of actual flying lessons and well before my first solo.

When I could see everybody was busy, I always crossed my fingers that somebody would pipe up and say to me... "Say, would you mind bringing ZN over to the pumps?" Or similar.

As far as practical value goes, it does get you used to the idea of being in a moving aircraft with nobody else onboard, and it's easy to forget how fun it is being given that responsibility so early on in training and, in my case, years

[RTN11]

At the last school I worked at it was common practice to allow a student to start the engine on their own. The instructor would then walk out and climb in with it running. This would typically be a couple of lessons before first solo, and signed off as capable of solo engine start in their student records.

Solo taxi would be fine, if you're at an airfield where the aircraft are parked a long way from the pumps (not dragging distance) or to taxi an aircraft back from the maintenance hangar. No exams or laws to worry about, but if the student hits something while taxiing solo, it's going to be the instructor getting in trouble just as much as the student.

[BackPacker]

Back when I was 13/14, I was allowed to taxi aircraft about the airfield solo

I was wondering about whether this would be legal, considering your age. You can only fly solo ("act as a commander of an aircraft") from your 16th birthday onwards.

I would guess that the same rule would apply for student pilots taxiing, with no intention of flight. But I wouldn't know for sure.

[mad_jock]

There are no laws in the UK about taxing of aircraft in the ANO.

There may well be age limits on operating machinery eg the 14 year old driving a tractor.

There is also laws about under 16 year olds being in charge of fueling with hydrocarbons.

[BackPacker]

There are no laws in the UK about taxing of aircraft in the ANO.

Don't tell the Safety Elfs at EASA...

[mad_jock]

To be honest I think you should at least have a RT license and relevent Air law (ground ops) knoweldge to be able to taxi unless under the umbrella of an Instructor.

[Whopity]

An engineer can taxi an aeroplane, it doesn't have to be a pilot however; an engineer does need a radio licence to use the radio Art 50(3) whereas a student pilot can do it under the exemption granted in Art 51(2)(b)

[mad_jock]

I don't know a single engineer thats "taxi authorised" that has an RT license apart from those that have a pilots license also.

[pfeinstein]

I'd be quite scared to see any one who isn't licensed or who isn't in the appropriate stage of training taxiing or doing much of anything else in a moving plane with them alone in the cockpit. Sounds surreal!