Mxsmanic wrote:
In the movie _Airport_ (1971), the airport manager mentions that Joe
Patroni, the miraculous mechanic who gets a stuck 707 off the runway,
is "licensed to taxi." Is there really such a thing as a license to
taxi??

As far as the FAA is concerned, no. However the airlines typically
have their own rules. Usually mechanics are authorized to reposition
airplanes in addition to pilots. A 707 of the era of that movie doesn't
have a lot of automation. You need more than just the guy in the left
seat to get it fired up and moving so I'm pretty sure Patroni is just
asking for someone who is qualified to perform the right seat role in
moving the aircraft.

That movie is pretty accurate for the day (the PAR approach at the
end seems pretty word for word right0. The book it's based on is
fabulous as well, you should dig it up. Arthur Hailey writes
"insider" books for a number of fields. This is perhaps his best.

The sequels were pretty much all wacko however.