Credit: Wikipedia
I flew my Bonanza into Cleveland Hopkins International Airport years ago to visit someone, and was not fully prepared for the departure. The midday arrival at KCLE was relatively calm, but I wasn’t prepared for the late afternoon/early evening regional jet rush hour. As I started to taxi, ground control was issuing instructions faster than an auctioneer with a hot date after work.
There are set taxi routes with coded names that all the regional pilots know. But visiting piston pilots don’t have a clue, and neither are they expected to. So, controllers tend to be very patient with us.
I was able to shoehorn in my taxi request and waited for a response amid the tsunami of directions. After stopping for a breath, the ground controller switched to his Mr. Rogers voice: "Bonanza 3473 Bravo, see that big airplane ahead of you with the engines on the wings? Turn left and follow him…but not too close. When you get to the bright flashing lights, stop until I tell you it’s safe to take off.”
