Taxiways are confusing. Tip?
 

So of course in flight school I had memorized with time the few small airports we used to land in, with very simple taxiways.
Now looking at the taxiways where our company operates, it confuses me so much.
After landing, do you guys usually just write the clearance the controller gives you on to the scratchpad and then look it up on the chart once vacated?
Do you mostly just write them and look for the signs?

I find it confuses me.

Thanks for any input.

Basically yes. If you cannot 'absorb' all the possible routes you might be given, best to be fully aware of the immediate routes following runway exit points and then if in doubt stop in a safe place and either ask (best) or look at the charts. We all make the occasional mistake, though.

Apocryphal story::

LGW, early morning, US pilot arrives, slightly 'snippy' lady on Ground freq

"ABC 123 - I told you to take the second left on 'J', first right onto 'R' to join 'L'. You took the first left and are now on 'K' "

ABC123

"Sorry mam - say, was I ever married to you?"

Black on yellow this way fellow.

Yellow on on black is where you are Jack.

Lord! How on earth did FOs ever cope before they had scratchpads to write every damn thing down on?

Presumably they weren't allowed to speak before the advent of the scratchpad?

I took a light a/c into MAN many years ago. I was used to seeing the taxiways from the flight deck of a heavy four jet. They looked completely different from just a few feet above the tarmac :confused:

One useful method is to associate expected taxiways with structures such as terminal buildings, control tower, fingers and so on. For example, Hong Kong has a taxiway running along each side of the control tower, V and W. By using the tower as a visual guide it should be difficult to confuse the two.
Short term memory is also important. If for example, you have two parallel taxiways after vacating the runway, say A and B, you need to remember which is which prior to touchdown. That way you can vacate with minimum delay, without having to first consult a chart. Hope this helps.

Notepads perhaps?

They had friendly flight engineers to help them!

Try tuning ground freq on number two radio for a bit prior to landing and pay attention to some of the issued taxi routes. Obviously at a large airport with many different airlines taxi instructions will vary but it should give you an idea.

I simply note the transmission and then quickly lookup my route on the airfield map, or you can generally guess your route from the stand/ramp with knowing the runways in-use.

I see they are developing lighting embedded in the runway to guide you...

you dont have scratchpads or a flight engineer on a 380 :}

but you do have your 'own' taxiways!

Not difficult at all... Especially with OANS:}:ok::}:ok:

If you don't know what OANS is look it up...

Taxi way signs
 

I used to demonstrate to new pilots while we taxied around LFPG to watch for the taxi sign to be level with the side window, the turn is that taxi way.

turn when is shown out of the front window and you'll make the taxi way before

Three days ago I arrived in Cancun, my system did not work :(

good job we had been there many times before, and knew where taxi way A was.

Yep and they were bloody good too - never knew a FE who led me up the garden path.

In any case when on final (if you can get a word in) just ask the TWR for the next taxiway expected after you intend to vacate the runway via (name). I do it a lot in BKK and SIN, both places where one doesn't have the foggiest idea where one will be instructed to taxy.

Landing runway is known before landing. Parking spot is typically known before landing.

Connect the dots between the two locations - "if we turn off here we should expect XYZ. If we turn off here we should expect ABC."

"Follow the greens." :ok::D