Taxiing

*Taxiing Speed is controlled by throttle to go faster and brakes to slow down.

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*The aircraft is steered left or right while taxiing with rudder only. Left rudder turns left.

*Ailerons are used to ensure any wind does not lift a wing. The ailerons are tilted so your control stick or yoke is into the wind at all times. If a wind is coming from your right, use full right aileron. The into wind aileron should be up.

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*Elevator is used to reduce load on the nose wheel. In no wind and light winds we always hold full back stick or yoke when taxiing, except when we have a very strong tail wind. In the case of a strong tailwind use full forward elevator.

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*Weathercocking is when the wind tries to turn the aircraft so that it points into the wind like a weather cock, a windsock or a directional windmill. When we have a wind from the right it will try to turn the aircraft to the right. This needs to be countered with left rudder. A strong tailwind makes the aircraft want to weather cock a lot in either or both directions and caution needs to be exercised.

Nosewheel aircraft with steerable nose wheels are much easy to control when taxiing.

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Tailwheel aircraft are difficult to steer when taxiing and difficult to see out of, often requiring pilots to constantly turn during taxiing.

*Ground loop – sometimes during taxiing or ground roll a pilot loses control of the yaw due to weather cocking and the aircraft can spin around in a full 180° type motion.

Rollover – weather cocking causes the aircraft to want roll away from the wind. This places high forces on the landing gear and if the pilot loses control can cause the aircraft to lift the wing until the opposite wingtip hits the ground.