Until which speeds is the tiller used to control direction (especially on take-off)?

Question

Until which speeds is the tiller used to control direction (especially on take-off)?

Answer 1

If by "tiller" you mean the nose wheel steering control, it is used primarily for low speed taxiing. Most transport aircraft have some degree of nose wheel steering incorporated in the rudder pedals. Once the aircraft is aligned with the runway centerline there is almost no use for the nose wheel steering control wheel or tiller bar. Directional control will be by the rudder pedals on the takeoff roll. On landing the same is true, directional control will be mostly by the rudder pedals. When speed is reduced below roughly 60kts and there is a need for more maneuverability, such as making a turnoff, then the Captain will reach for the nose wheel steering.

A previous answer said something about 10,000 ft and 210 kts. I'm not sure what he is thinking of, but if you are referring to the nose wheel steering tiller it only works on the ground.

Answer 2

The tiller wheel is used for low speed taxing only. Once a pilot aligns the nose wheel on the runway they will use the rudder pedals to keep it centered. The tiller wheel has about 70 degrees or steering left or right depending upon the acft model while the rudder pedals will only move the nose wheels maybe 10 degrees. Both systems will completely disconnect once the nose wheel is airborne so the nose wheel can retract and fit in the nose wheel well facing forward.

Answer 3

Depends on the type of aircraft. If your flying a cessna then your gonna be using it all the time. If your flying a 737 then, i believe, it's prohibited to use the tiller above 10,000ft. I remember my lecturer saying something along those lines. So in terms of speed, you're talking about anything from roughly 160 to 210 knots really

Answer 4

haha 10000 feet. I'm certain the nose wheel will not function above 1 foot. Perhaps this is what the pilot for Jet Blue did wrong in LAX a year or so ago with that nose wheel malfunction.

The real answer is that the tiller as mentioned is used for low speed steering. Steering the aircraft on the runway is accomplished by either using the tiller if rudder isn't aerodynamically creating enough force to steer the aircraft. Once the Rudder is aerodynamically efficient then you use the rudder.

To my knowledge there isn’t any runways built with a hairpin corner in the middle. The pilot positions the airplane on the runway and goes strait. What ever speed he can start using the rudder is the same speed that he stops using the tiller.