My home airport has run-up locations. The few flights I’ve done, we headed to the nearest one to the departure runway. But when I go abroad in the sim, I find them to not exist at most airports.
Checklists seem to make me feel they should be close to the hold short line of the departure runway.
So, what do you do if all the airport has is a narrow taxiway up to the hold short line for the runway?
The hold short line seems risky as that can take a bit of time to run the checklist. And if something fails, you’ll really be in the way of any traffic.
I’m actually sensitive to doing this part of the checklist as I saw a crash from engine failure on takeoff. The pilot didn’t do the full run-up. That was 40 years ago, and it’s still burned into my mind.
At my home airport we do the run-ups at the hold short line and I believe this is the most common practice in Europe.
To add onto this, sometimes you can do your run-up when you are perpendicular to the hold short line before you actually turn to hold short. You can also turn your plane about 45 degrees off the taxi line when you do it so you don’t prop blast the plane behind you. This has been the normal procedure I’ve seen at Catalina airport, which has no run-up area.
That’s what I’ve experienced IRL!
In the sim I have always been doing that since what the instructor had me do. I assumed it was so we could see anyone behind us.
It really just depends on the airport. Unfortunately the sim will usually not have the specific run-up area painted or won’t have a sign that describes how you should do the run-up. Maybe there is some scenery addons that will add those elements. For example at Santa Paula airport IRL there is a great big sign that says “Point plane at this sign while performing run-up”. Doing that does prop-blast the plane behind you a little, but that’s the procedure of the area.
Much of the world isn’t designed for high-density light GA. Where that does exist, but without hammerheads or other runup infrastructure, as others have noted, turn off the centerline and rejoin at around 30-45° off-axis. At some airports you can find an unused area of the ramp, but you have to watch for vehicles and pedestrians, be mindful of where your propwash is pointed, and vigilant for FOD. That, and if your taxi time from the ramp is several minutes, you can foul the plugs on the way out to the runway and because no runup, you might not detect it. Best to just do it at the hold short and make them wait.
However, sometimes the A/FD will specify a runup area, sometimes it’s signed as such, and if you’re ever in doubt, ask. You can ask the FBO or at a towered airport - just key up and ask ground if they have a preferred runup area. They may be able to help you out by sending you off the beaten path or sequencing you behind someone who is ready to get out.
Either way, a runup in a piston single shouldn’t take an experienced pilot more than a minute or two once you have the flow down. Most other pilots (behind you) understand it’s part of the deal.