Runway incursions are kind of a big deal with the FAA, and they put a lot of effort into tracking these events. They also spend a lot of time educating pilots on how to best avoid runway incursions.

Advisory Circular 91-73 emphasizes that Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are necessary in order to "lessen the exposure to hazards and risks by holding the pilot's workload to a minimum during taxi operations." Thus, the FAA sees a direct correlation between pilot workload and runway incursion events (rather than, for example, lack of training). SOPs are presented in 91.73 as a mitigating strategy.

SOPs are so important, in fact, that they are required:

• During the certification and proficiency training;
• During all phases of flight, including ground operations;
• During flight reviews.

AC 91.73 emphasizes ground planning as part of the overall flight plan. This includes both "review items" and "briefing items."

• Review items: Any changes made to regulatory and guidance information sources, as well as NOTAMs and ATIS.
• Briefing items: Timing and execution of checklists, passenger brief, sterile cockpit, route of taxi.

CFIs are expected to instruct students on the use of airport diagrams.

Pilots should be alert for the possibility of receiving instructions other than what they expect. It's easy for a pilot to acknowledge an instruction without listening to it and then proceed based on prior expectations. "Pilots need to follow the clearance or instructions that are actually received, and not the ones they expected to receive."

After the entire aircraft crosses over the landing runway's hold short line, pilots should conduct after-landing checklist items before contacting ATC for taxi instructions. (If there is insufficient space on the stub taxiway, ATC may request that pilots position aircraft on a taxiway in the direction of travel, complete required checklist items, and then contact ground for a taxi clearance.)

AC 91.73 discourages the use of mobile phones and other electronic devices by "everyone present in the aircraft" during ground operations.

Situational Awareness (SA)

Situational Awareness (SA) during ground operations is described in AC 91.73 as a "continuous loop" between the aircraft's current location and the next critical location, such as an intersection or hot-spot. The AC notes that "many pilot errors occur when one or more pilots are off frequency or doing heads-down work, such as programming an FMS/GPS. Therefore, pilots should perform all high workload duties before beginning to taxi. Otherwise, performing these duties during taxi can have significant safety implications."

Increased awareness is required when taxiing between parallel runways.

Written taxi instructions can be used as a reference for reading back the instructions to ATC and as a means of confirming the taxi route and any restrictions during the airport surface taxi operation. This is especially true for complex instructions.

During low visibility conditions, all resources available should be used during taxi. Resources include the airport diagram, the heading indicators, and airport signs, markings, and lighting. Any time the pilot is uncertain of their location on the airport or during taxi, stop the aircraft and immediately advise ATC.

Aircraft lighting

AC 91.73 includes several guidelines on the use of aircraft lights.

• Turn on the rotating beacon whenever an engine is running.
• Prior to commencing taxi, turn on navigation, position, anti-collision, and logo lights, if available.
• To signal intent to other pilots, consider turning on the taxi light when the aircraft is moving or intending to move on the ground, and turning it off when stopped or yielding or as a consideration to other pilots or ground personnel.
• Strobe lights should not be illuminated during taxi if they will adversely affect the vision of other pilots or ground personnel.
• All exterior lights should be illuminated when crossing a runway.

Caution: Pilots should consider any adverse effects to safety that illuminating the forward-facing lights will have on the vision of other pilots or ground personnel during runway crossings.

When entering a runway, either for takeoff or when taxiing into LUAW pilots should make their aircraft more conspicuous to aircraft on final behind them and to ATC by turning on all lights…

• except for landing lights that highlight the aircraft's silhouette.
• however, strobe lights should not be illuminated if they will adversely affect the vision of other pilots.

Appendices

AC 91.73 includes a Pilot Briefing Card in the appendices. This would be good to use as reference material during the oral portion of the practical test.

AC 91.73 also includes best practices for flight schools and instructors, also in the appendices.