Author Topic: Taxiway names  (Read 68148 times)

Offline JonathanB

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Taxiway names
« on: March 06, 2013, 07:30:01 PM »
Is there a system for naming taxiways?
I've noticed that Taxiways that parallel runways are A and B unless there is more than one runway and or the runways aren't parallel. It would help in remembering the names if there is a system. Thanks.



Offline falstro

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Re: Taxiway names
« Reply #1 on: March 07, 2013, 02:40:02 AM »
Is there a system for naming taxiways?
I've noticed that Taxiways that parallel runways are A and B unless there is more than one runway and or the runways aren't parallel. It would help in remembering the names if there is a system. Thanks.

I'm sure there's a system somewhere, and I think it's something like this: All taxiways are named A, B, so forth, and 'exits' from the taxiway (either to other taxiways, parking, runways etc) are numbered on top of that, so A1, A2, etc. The difference between taxiway and 'exit' can get blurry sometimes though, there's an airport in Italy which had a runway incursion disaster a couple of years back, if I recall correctly, all the taxiways are called R+number, which would imply there's only one taxiway (R), and all the others (which go around the entire airport) are just exits to and from that taxiway. At Frankfurt Hahn (not Frankfurt Main, which is the big one and have a normal naming scheme, Hahn is a smaller one, way off in the west, frequented by RyanAir) in Germany, all exits have their own letters, there's a big taxiway A along the entire length of the runway, exits are labeled C, D, E, F, G, and M. There are also two exits on the displaced threshold for runway 3 called B1 and B2, but there's no B, so here they must've figured "they are so close to each other let's give 'em the same letter".

Don't know if I helped much, and I'm sure someone has a documented naming scheme somwhere, but that's how I think of it anyway. :)

Offline RonR

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Re: Taxiway names
« Reply #2 on: March 07, 2013, 12:14:50 PM »
In looking at the airport diagram for KJFK, the two loop taxiways that go around the entire airport are A and B.  I can't say for sure, but this may be the norm whenever there are loop taxiways or "main" taxiways that run past all the terminals at an airport.  Looking at KLGA, this idea holds true.  But if you look at KORD, the taxiway that loops around all the terminals is B.  There is an A taxiway but it's a short one located at the northeast corner of the terminal area.  The taxiways that exit the ramp area and cross over B are labeled A1, A2, etc.  At KJFK these same taxiways are labeled with two letters and don't seem to follow any pattern.  In fact some of them have their own single letter label.  And KLGA is different again.  And for KLGA the Z taxiway and Y taxiway are at complete opposite ends of the airport and at KJFK they intersect each other.  It doesn't look like any system to me.

Offline InterpreDemon

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Re: Taxiway names
« Reply #3 on: March 07, 2013, 08:38:46 PM »
Take a look at KHPN, where I used to base.

http://155.178.201.160/d-tpp/1303/00651AD.PDF

Sort of shoots down earlier theories, though it appears they started with the main taxiway for the main runway (16/34) and went up with all the turn-offs, then jumped to the other side. Back when I flew there I think what is now Lima was Hotel, but all the FBOs have been moved since then, Westair formerly being on the southwest end of 16 across from Bravo.

Offline JonathanB

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Re: Taxiway names
« Reply #4 on: March 10, 2013, 07:43:09 PM »
I tried a search at the FAA web sight. Came up with nothing. Maybe Couldn't think of the right search criteria. Well maybe someone who knows will  see this and answer if there is a system or not? Thanks for everyone for their input.

Offline sykocus

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Re: Taxiway names
« Reply #5 on: March 10, 2013, 11:23:11 PM »
http://www.faa.gov/airports/engineering/

You might find something there.
 
AFAIK there are "guildlines" for naming taxiways but I think they are only guidelines. Not that long ago ORD added a branch of taxiways that had the same names as gates at the terminal. When controllers wanted to send emergency vehicles to taxiway W2 sometimes they would go to gate W2 and vice versa. It took a lot of pressure from the FAA to rename them.

You have to consider different airports  develop differently over the years. JFK was opened in 1948. That's years before the first jet airliners entered service. They probably didn't envision there would ever be much more then 20ish taxiways. As the number and size of aircraft increased they had to add pavement to to existing infrastructure. It's not practical it reame all the taxiways every time a new one is built. Other airports like IAH, were built in the modern era to be handle large numbers and large aircraft. You'll notice the taxiways on the west side of the airport are W_. The ones on the south side are S_.

Offline JonathanB

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Re: Taxiway names
« Reply #6 on: March 12, 2013, 06:55:31 PM »
sykocus,
I tried the link. Couldn't find anything.
InterpreDemon,
The crossing runways might have something to do with it and then again maybe there isn't a system.

Offline sykocus

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Re: Taxiway names
« Reply #7 on: March 13, 2013, 02:00:54 AM »
after a little more searching i did come across this

http://www.faa.gov/airports/engineering/engineering_briefs/media/EB_89.pdf

Offline JonathanB

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Re: Taxiway names
« Reply #8 on: March 14, 2013, 11:30:47 AM »
sykokocus,
Thanks. That seems to be the last word.

Offline SkyViking

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Re: Taxiway names
« Reply #9 on: April 01, 2013, 02:09:55 AM »
Back in the good ol days before guidelines and ICAO standardization, the A and B that loop around most major airports were called Inner and Outer. From JFK to LHR to ORD etc usually the perimeter taxiways around the ramp and aprons were referred as such.  Due to confusion by forign and non-familiar crews and close calls, the inner and outers were re-named and most were given Alpha and Bravo.  Kennedy controllers were famous for giving the following clearance after landing, "Clipper One Heavy, turn right on the outer, left on the inner, ground point niner!"

Offline cessna157

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Re: Taxiway names
« Reply #10 on: June 25, 2013, 01:38:56 PM »
As a 121 pilot, I would say there is no real consistency on taxiway naming conventions, in the US anyway.  As it was stated, most parallels are a letter, then the related turnoffs are numbered letters (A1, C5, etc).  

Generally numbered letters (B2, G2) are shorter, less important taxiways (think side-streets) while lettered taxiways are more like main thoroughfares.  But, there are exceptions to this (IAD and DTW immediately come to mind).

Some taxiway systems are named using a location/logic convention, which sounds good on paper, but becomes a disaster when trying to issue/readback instructions over the radio.  IAH stands out in this case.  There, they have 6 seperate taxiway complexes:  North, South, East, West, Ramp, and Far-north.  Each taxiway has 2 letters: the first denominates the complex and the second is the name.  For example the parallel North taxiways are NB NC and NA while the turnoffs include NJ NN NK NL NE NF.  South parallels are SA and SB with turnoffs SH SJ SG.  West parallels WA WB WP WC include turnoffs WT WR WM.  Ramp parallels RA RB, and Far-north FA FE FB, etc.

IAH tried using logic, but in a pilot's perspective, it is a vocal disaster to have to readback "Taxi to the ramp via foxtrot echo, foxtrot alpha, november echo, november bravo, november foxtrot, cross 26 left"
« Last Edit: June 25, 2013, 01:40:38 PM by cessna157 »

Offline JonathanB

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Re: Taxiway names
« Reply #11 on: July 27, 2013, 05:06:11 PM »
Thanks cessna 157. Around where I fly KLGB is the rough one. Have to ask for progressive taxi.