Definition
A series of FAA-published charts designed to help pilots taxi safely on the ground at busy airports. They show the airport's runways, taxiways, ramps, terminal buildings, and other ground features in detail, so a pilot can identify their position and follow ground control instructions accurately.
Plain English
A map of the airport surface that shows where the runways, taxiways, and buildings are, so you can find your way around on the ground without getting lost.
Context Anchor
Used during preflight planning, after landing, before taxiing for departure, and anytime a pilot needs to follow ground instructions at an airport.
Derivation
"Taxi" in aviation means moving an aircraft on the ground under its own power. The word came from early aviation slang, where pilots compared a slow-moving aircraft on the ground to a taxicab cruising the streets. So a Taxi Chart is, literally, a chart for taxiing.
Why Pilots Care
They reduce the risk of runway incursions and wrong-surface landings by providing clear, standardized visual guidance for all ground movement.
Analogy
It is like using a detailed map of a large parking area, but for aircraft. The chart helps you match where you are with where you have been cleared to go.
Intuition Check
Do not read “taxi” here as a car for hire. In aviation, taxi means moving an aircraft on the ground, usually between parking, runways, and other airport areas.
Example Sentence 1
Before starting up at a large unfamiliar airport, the pilot pulled out the Airport Taxi Chart to plan the route from the ramp to the active runway.
Example Sentence 2
The crew reviewed the taxi chart during the pre-taxi briefing to identify any hot spots near the active runway.