"Roy Smith" wrote in message
...
[...]
Heck, I don't care if the FAA *and* the insurance company allows it.
If I owned something worth the better part of $100 Million, I sure
would want anybody moving the thing to have some sort of training.
Hangar rash gets real expensive real quick when you're talking 777's.

Well, ignoring for the moment that I don't think anyone here was "talking
777's"...

....of course some kind of training is required. Transport aircraft aren't
typically taxied under their own power in and around other airplanes; they
use tugs for that, and the operators of the tugs require training as well
(as Robert's post did point out). When they are taxied under their own
power, it's only with a properly trained person at the controls (even if
that person isn't a pilot).

Likewise, no one is suggesting student pilots just be handed the keys and
told to go play around. An instructor wouldn't have them practice taxiing
until the student had already been given some instruction.

As far as the practicality of it goes, I'm not sure I see the point of
having a student practice taxiing solo. Often, the trickiest part about
taxiing an airplane is out of and back into parking. Even if the airplane
is pulled by hand out of and back into the parking space proper, taxiing
near the space can be tight quarters. Once you get out onto the taxiway,
you usually have a lot of leeway (though at smaller airports this isn't
always the case). If you can get to the taxiway, you probably are already
plenty competent in taxiing.

Pete