What is the distance between two aircraft in taxi?

Question

What is the distance between two aircraft in taxi?

Answer 1

There is no set distance set between aircraft.  At some busy airports, ATC has askes us to squeeze in to fit everyone in line and sometimes it is more relaxed.

Answer 2

safe distance at pilots discrection.

Answer 3

It really depends on the taxiways and the aircraft involved.  Generally there is 20 to 50 feet of wingtip clearance between two "average" sized commercial airliners.  Obviously, the distance between two regional jets using the identical taxiways would be greater.

Interestingly, there are adjacent taxiways which cannot accommodate two wide body airliners (B747, A330, B777, etc.) at the same time.  On those taxiways, one airliner would have to "go first" before the other could use the adjacent taxiway.

While on the ramp area (near the gates), distances can be much closer.  How close one plane is to another is usually the pilot's discretion.  Usually, if the pilot feels it's "too close for comfort" they will request wing walkers.  Essentially, a ground crew will come out and help guide the aircraft through a tight spot.

With regard to aircraft on the same taxiway (one following another), it is the pilot's discretion.  Smaller regional aircraft will generally stay further back from larger aircraft due to jet blast.  I based my distance on how busy the airport was (stay closer) and how much of a "throttle jockey" the pilot in front of me was (maybe stay back further).

Answer 4

Pilots Judgment. The flight control just keeps airplanes from using same runway at one time and such, but on a small airport with cessnas it all depends on the pilot, a 17 year old may tailgate a slow moving 65 year old.