License To Taxi?

"Marty" wrote in message
...

"SteveT" wrote in message
oups.com...
Hello All,
Perhaps someone hereabouts can settle a discussion I had with a fellow
passenger on an airliner the other day: Suppose there's a 747 parked
at a gate and they need to taxi it over to a maintenance area. Does it
require a licensed pilot to taxi a plane that large (or any plane, for
that matter) on the ground? We are stipulating that the plane is not
going to take off -- merely drive from one part of the airport to
another. Also, if pilots do NOT usually perform this task, then who
usually does?
Thanks for any info to settle this!


No "license" needed to taxi, but when I worked at a small airport, we
never
started a plane to move it. We used a tug or towbar.

Many GA airports use tugs to move the small ones around or simply use a
tow
bar.As a service,
employees of the airport/FBO regularly retrive aircraft from hangers for
pilots. They will often refuel and park the aircraft for the pilots upon
their return.

My guess with airliners it comes down to economics. Just can't see any
reason to spool up an airliner just to taxi when there is plenty of tugs
and
wing walkers around.

Starting engines just to taxi an aircraft seems like opening a liability
can-o-worms.




I have never seen them start up and taxi around seen a few at KPDX moved
from place to place with a TUG


Steven Rhine
CP-ASEL-IA