On Sat, 10 Apr 2004 20:07:00 +0200, Stefan
wrote:

Steven P. McNicoll wrote:
I don't know how it is in the USA, but in this part of the world, a taxi
instruction does *not* imply the right to cross a runway.

I assume you are referring to Germany here as well. IMHO a taxi
clearance to a point beyond a runway implies a clearance to cross it.
If you have a reference for your theory, I'd be very interested in
that.

Often Ground controllers are
employees of the airport, Tower controllers are employees of ATC. Ground
"controllers" needn't even be controllers at all.

Sorry, but this is plainly wrong. At least in Germany "Ground"
controllers on the major airports are DFS-employees and "real"
controllers. You probably have "Apron"-controllers in mind, but they
don't do any movement control on taxiways, never mind taxiways which
have runway intersections.

Ground gives you instructions where to taxi and which taxiways ot use,
but this doesn't imply the right to enter a runway. If you must cross a
runway, you hold short of it, switch to Tower and ask for permission to
cross it. After crossing, you switch back to Ground.

Usually Ground will say something like "Taxi via x to holding point y,
hold short of runway z, contact Tower 123.45", but if they omit the hold
short part, this doesn't imply anything.

I've never heard a controller omit the "hold short" part, and for good
reason.

Regards
Tobias