Ground accidents are some of the most preventable kinds out there. Planning, technique and paying attention are key to avoiding additional drama.

By Joseph E. (Jeb) Burnside

Before we can get to the runway—or the FBO—we have to taxi. It’s easy to conceive of the taxi portion of our flight operations to be akin to driving a car, but the only things they have in common is their two-dimensional nature. Instead, taxiing is an operation requiring a skill and experience level similar to landings. Especially since we’re often closer to other objects than at any other time.

How to taxi depends on several variables, including time of day, visibility, aircraft type, the pavement (or lack of it) and its condition, plus surface traffic, among others. But if we focus on a few elements of the taxi operation and…