How to Make Your Pushback Look Real

Ground School Community Tutorials
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I will be teaching you how to make your pushback sequence look realistic. I will show you three ways of pushing back. In this scenario, I am pushing back at KLAX from three different locations:

  • the back of the terminal
  • the front of the terminal
  • the side of the terminal

Example 1) The Back of the Terminal

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As you can see from this photo, it would be impossible to push back tail left. If we had buildings, you would be pushing back right into the terminal! In order to make this look realistic, you are going to push back tail right going backwards down the terminal taxiway. (shown below)

The only time you should be pushing tail left is only if there is adequate space for your aircraft, but in a realistic scenario, the pushback tug would pull you forward to the engine starting position.

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As you can see, I’m pushing back towards the main taxiway. Once you reach closer to the main taxiway, you can now make a turn to tail left or tail right. (shown below)

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Here is a real example of a KLM 777 doing this same technique at Amsterdam.

Example 2) The Front of the Terminal

This is once of the most common and simple ways of pushing back from the terminal; the front of it.

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All you need to do is push back either tail left or tail right if safe. It’s necessary that you don’t pushback onto a taxiway intersection, so you won’t block other aircraft from going to their runway or taxiing to their gate. (shown below)

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Here is a real example of a Southwest 737 using this technique at LAX.

Example 3) The Side of the Terminal

As I said in the previous example, this is one of the most common ways of pushing back. Depending on what she of the terminal you’re on, you can pushback tail left or tail left*. In this picture, I push tail left. (shown below)

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At some airports there is a hold short line for you to hold short of before entering the main taxiway. This is where you want to stop your aircraft. It is not recommended that you go on to the main taxiway, so you don’t interrupt other traffic on the taxiway. (shown below)

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Once on this hold short, you can now request taxi and go on your way! :)

Here is a real example of a JetBlue E190 using the same technique at Boston.

I hope you guys enjoyed this tutorial and I also hope that you learned something. If you feel like I should add more details, send me a PM! :)

Happy Flying!

86 Likes
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Great tutorial! I learned a bunch, especially the back of the terminal part.

P.S. wait until your picture uploads before posting. ;)

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I don’t really think the controller will be impressed if I did the first way. He’ll be like get out of the way stop trolling

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I accidentally clicked post before I could finish. It’s fixed now :)

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I’ve done it once at EHAM and the controller didn’t really mind. If I did see an aircraft taxiing past me on the main taxiway, I would usually give them way so I don’t make them mad.

Hopefully after reading this tutorial, ATC could look out for people doing this technique and understand that they’re not trolling. :)

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in the first situation (Not nesserary to be beside the wall) in jordan we manage the time so either one of the 2 gates is off
so we do this:-

because

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I guess you can also try that way. But in the US, airports are so busy, there’s not enough time and room to push into an open gate and then be pulled forward to taxi.

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Great tutorial mate, I’m very impressed.

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Yeah PG controllers won’t be happy with these realistic pushbacks.

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What do you do for a living @CptNathanHope ? Just curious lol …

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I am a full time student and a part time infinite flight pilot ;)

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Thisith shall be forever cherished. I vou to use these strategies that Mr. Hopeith has given us to use. I will giveith all thanks to you. Shall the mustaches protectith you.

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When traffic is heavy, ground might have no time to carefully monitor how traffic pushback or the route which pilots take. In real life, it’s very easy or even I can say the first way is a normal way in some airports. ATC can assign taxi routes to avoid collision with pushing back traffic. But, at least so far, able to assign routes is not happening in IF, everyone must be careful when choosing the first way.

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Thanks very useful

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I’m glad you like it. Stay tuned for another tutorial coming very soon. :)

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Yeah I will for sure

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Very nice! Hope to see some more from you

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Love this tutorial! Great work. Learned a lot from this.

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Nice, love it! Thanks for the great work!

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This is very helpful, I now use it all the time, on the expert server, without a problem!