Definition
A helicopter movement above the surface, normally below 100 feet AGL, used to move from one point to another on or near an airport. The aircraft remains under the pilot's control and proceeds at a speed appropriate for the conditions, with the expectation that the helicopter is in flight rather than ground-bound.
Plain English
When a helicopter moves short distances around an airport by flying low and slow instead of rolling on its wheels or skids.
Context Anchor
You may hear this in tower instructions to helicopters operating near ramps, taxiways, runways, or other airport movement areas.
Derivation
‘Taxi’ in aviation comes from the way an aircraft moves on the ground like a taxi cab between points. Helicopters can't roll easily on skids, so ‘air taxi’ describes the same idea — repositioning short distances — but done in low-altitude flight.
Why Pilots Care
Helps helicopter pilots follow specific procedures and avoid confusing it with hover taxi or surface taxi operations.
Intuition Check
Air TAXI does not mean an air charter or a paid flying service here. In this FAA use, it means a low flight movement by a helicopter or similar aircraft around an airport.
Example Sentence 1
Tower instructed the helicopter to air taxi from the ramp to the departure pad.
Example Sentence 2
During air taxi the helicopter stayed below 20 feet AGL and under 20 knots.