Taxiing on one engine

[Guest Marc Sykes]

I was reading a few articles today about how the airlines are trying to do more and more to save fuel as oil prices continue to go up. Something that just about all the majors have been doing for quite some time, particularly on the smaller aircraft, is taxiing on one engine. I believe the usual pattern is to start #2 during or shortly after the push and use that to taxi to the runway, starting #1 just before takeoff. Then after landing it's the opposite, you shut down #2 and taxi in on #1. The reason why it's this way and not the reverse is so the baggage folks can get right into the cargo bays as you pull into the gate, since #2 has already spooled down. So it reduces turnaround time as well, and if you alternate which engine you're taxiing on it keeps engine wear uniform.I've done this a few times in FS and it seems to work fairly well. The power setting to taxi is low enough that asymmetrical thrust is not an issue. Unlike when you're airborne and lose an engine, it's quite easy to keep it moving in a straight line.It would be interesting to work this into FS2Crew as an option -- it would be a slight change to the engine start checklist, and then would add a couple more items to the to-the-line checklist. Shutting down #2 could perhaps be part of the FO's after landing flow, although I'm not sure if he currently has the ability to manipulate the start levers. Even if not, he can do everything else.Any thoughts? I might be the only one who actually cares about this, but seeing as how pretty much all of the major American carriers now seem to be doing this with the smaller aircraft (they don't with the heavies -- with the exception of the 747 -- because those engines require longer to spool, and the breakaway thrust required to start say a fully loaded 767 or 777 moving on one engine would be dangerous), I think it would add some accuracy to the simulation.Marc SykesAAL343ZLA ARTCC Chief

[byork 2,259]

Hi Marc,I thought about it, but found controlling the plane too difficult.So I scrapped the idea.-Bryan