Don’t make a wrong turn in PEK!
Brilliant Humpty; brilliant. My last early morning departure from PVG had a ground controller (operating all ground sectors N to S and W to E, and barely able to manage one of them let alone 6 ) sounding as though he’d consumed all the local taxi drivers’ supply of ketamine. Asking for a radio check every 3 minutes airborne (from memory the time period when they report you for loss of comms ) is also worth the effort.
I operated into PEK last night and briefed LVO procedures to mitigate the blame culture. Low taxi speed, checks at the holding point and NO single engine taxi etc.
PEK ATC has always, in my view, been a considerable threat and operating in low visibility requires heightened vigilance as this is when significant systemic dangers could materialise. Often you are asked to expedite off the runway with rapid-fire frequency changes and instructions. A simple turn left or right followed by the instructional barrage would go a long way in reducing the taxi threats on the ground environs. Every other Chinese airport offers this simple measure except PEK - which seems burdened in its training role for ATC?
PEK ATC has always, in my view, been a considerable threat and operating in low visibility requires heightened vigilance as this is when significant systemic dangers could materialise. Often you are asked to expedite off the runway with rapid-fire frequency changes and instructions. A simple turn left or right followed by the instructional barrage would go a long way in reducing the taxi threats on the ground environs. Every other Chinese airport offers this simple measure except PEK - which seems burdened in its training role for ATC?
Banner from every FIR they read back every clearance with “confirm” making the controller repeat everything twice.
Banned from every airport they fail to maintain ATC speed, or when instructed to contact director with callsign only they over transmit director with a long descending to speed now heading mean while someone just has gone through the loc.
Banned from every airport they hold short of the runway by 100 meters, or take 2 minutes to line up.
Mainland Chinese carriers are the biggest safety risk with the inability to use a radio, or do as instructed. They are biggest impediment to runway/airspace efficiency.
Join Date: Jul 2006
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In most airports in China it’s mandatory to present the crew passports to immigration even for turn around flights. One of the cabin crew will have to go the immigration with all the crew passports. If you forgot your passport, your company will have to pay a fine.
In Shanghai Pudong airport, we are not required to show our passport for turn around flights.
But few months ago, one captain did not have it and bad luck for him, there was a spot check that day. xD
To punish us, apart from the huge fine, for the next 10 days, all the crews had to walk to immigration to show their passports...
We have 4 flights a day to Pekin, so I guess we will park to the remote bay soon. xD
Taxiing in Pekin is easier than before tho. Now they only issue 3 taxi instructions maximum. And they tend to follow a standard taxi route. Landing 36L or 18R which is the longest taxi to the main terminal is pretty much what you can find on the arrival taxi chart.
In Shanghai Pudong airport, we are not required to show our passport for turn around flights.
But few months ago, one captain did not have it and bad luck for him, there was a spot check that day. xD
To punish us, apart from the huge fine, for the next 10 days, all the crews had to walk to immigration to show their passports...
We have 4 flights a day to Pekin, so I guess we will park to the remote bay soon. xD
Taxiing in Pekin is easier than before tho. Now they only issue 3 taxi instructions maximum. And they tend to follow a standard taxi route. Landing 36L or 18R which is the longest taxi to the main terminal is pretty much what you can find on the arrival taxi chart.
Join Date: Feb 2007
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The Chinese like to dish out penalties to their pilots for making errors, but they now have taken this penalty system to a whole new level:
. Category of Taxiing Deviations and Corresponding Measures (I) Category I – (Runway incursion)
1. Airlines whose aircraft taxies into an incorrect runway and disturbs other flights’ landing and taking off will be required to park their aircrafts in remote stands for a minimum of twelve (12) weeks in a row. The incidents will be reported to CAAC North China Regional Administration for taking penalty measures.
2. Airlines whose aircraft taxies into an incorrect runway but does not disturb other flights’ landing or taking off will be required to park their aircrafts in remote stands for a minimum of eight (8) weeks in a row. The incidents will be reported to CAAC North China Regional Administration for taking penalty measures.
(II) Category II - (Occupying a taxiway but not affecting runway operation)
1. Airlines whose aircraft enter into an incorrect taxiway and leads to a head-on encounter with another aircraft will be required to park their aircrafts in remote stands for a minimum of six (6) weeks in a row.
2. Airlines whose large-size aircraft enters a lower-grade taxiway without authorization will be required to park their aircrafts in remote stands for a minimum of six (6) weeks in a row
3. Airlines whose aircraft enters an incorrect taxiway and results in a temporary traffic control or taxiing avoidance (according to the record made by air traffic controller) will be required to park their aircrafts in remote stands for a minimum of four (4) weeks in a row
(III) Category III – (Taking a wrong turn or taxiing past the designated position)
For aircrafts taking a wrong turn while taxiing or taxiing past the designated position, based on the actual situation, aircrafts operating the involved flight (by Flight number) will be required to park in remote stands for three (3) weeks in a row.
. Category of Taxiing Deviations and Corresponding Measures (I) Category I – (Runway incursion)
1. Airlines whose aircraft taxies into an incorrect runway and disturbs other flights’ landing and taking off will be required to park their aircrafts in remote stands for a minimum of twelve (12) weeks in a row. The incidents will be reported to CAAC North China Regional Administration for taking penalty measures.
2. Airlines whose aircraft taxies into an incorrect runway but does not disturb other flights’ landing or taking off will be required to park their aircrafts in remote stands for a minimum of eight (8) weeks in a row. The incidents will be reported to CAAC North China Regional Administration for taking penalty measures.
(II) Category II - (Occupying a taxiway but not affecting runway operation)
1. Airlines whose aircraft enter into an incorrect taxiway and leads to a head-on encounter with another aircraft will be required to park their aircrafts in remote stands for a minimum of six (6) weeks in a row.
2. Airlines whose large-size aircraft enters a lower-grade taxiway without authorization will be required to park their aircrafts in remote stands for a minimum of six (6) weeks in a row
3. Airlines whose aircraft enters an incorrect taxiway and results in a temporary traffic control or taxiing avoidance (according to the record made by air traffic controller) will be required to park their aircrafts in remote stands for a minimum of four (4) weeks in a row
(III) Category III – (Taking a wrong turn or taxiing past the designated position)
For aircrafts taking a wrong turn while taxiing or taxiing past the designated position, based on the actual situation, aircrafts operating the involved flight (by Flight number) will be required to park in remote stands for three (3) weeks in a row.
